Lifestyles 55 2026 April 24 Digital

MANITOBA

Thinking bigger with tax reform in Manitoba

Evelyn Jacks

Manitoba’s March 24 budget missed an important opportunity: to show how a province hard hit by tariffs from its southern neighbor can focus on a tax-smart strategy to propel economic growth and raise standards of living in an affordability crisis. Instead, we continue to raise income taxes across the board through bracket creep, and potentially fail to keep and attract highly educated workers who will call Manitoba home in the future. We do so at the peril of building a healthy tax base. We could, however, look west to go from good to great.

The Backdrop. For context, the top tax rate of 17.4% kicks in at $100,000 in Manitoba. That’s a low threshold. The highest earners, with taxable incomes over $253,414 in 2026, pay tax at a rate of just over 50% (federal and provincial combined). There aren’t that many of those top earners: just under 10,000 of them. The vast majority (67%) have incomes of $50,200 or less , and they form the broad base of taxpayers in Manitoba.

Further, the poverty line is just over $24,000 for a single person in Manitoba. That person will pay about $1300 in federal/provincial income tax in Manitoba. In Saskatchewan, the tax bill would be $832 and in

Polar Bear

Jane Hebden

Winnipeg has a reputation for being fairly cold in the winter.

Okay, that’s a bold faced lie. We have actually been dubbed affectionately, or spitefully, depending on how you look at it, as Winterpeg. It is, in truth, freaking cold in this prairie expanse! We are one of those lucky places that can range from minus 40 C in winter not including windchill that allows skin to peel off even when covered to plus 40 C in summer. For any of you unfamiliar with the Celsius scale it means from

Alberta $621. One of the reasons for the difference is the Basic Personal Amount is $15,780 in Manitoba, much lower than Saskatchewan’s $20,381 and Alberta’s $22,769.

Worse, last year the provincial government announced a hidden tax; known as bracket creep. The personal amounts and tax brackets are not indexed to inflation starting in 2025. That can push taxpayers into higher tax brackets sooner, and erode the value of tax 5 ‘Tax reform in Manitoba' u

Manitoba’s biomedical industry: a winning horse eager to get out of the barn!

arctic cold to jungle unbearable.

Both these ranges do not last for more than just a day or so, scattered amid pleasant temperatures. I am talking for weeks on end.

Have we benefited from global warming? All I know is I don’t see any palm trees flourishing outside my apartment window. Sure, maybe the winter is a bit milder. Minus 30 scattered here and there Provides some relief.

They say the arctic ice cap is melting and the polar bears are suffering because of it. Well bothered bears come on down! I’m certain one morning I’ll go and brush the snow off my car windows and discover a polar bear sitting in the pas-

senger seat trying to escape minus 53 C (windchill included here.)

An exaggeration, perhaps, but not by much. Having lived here all my life you’d assume I’d be used to it by now. Big fat NO there! Why then linger here and continue the suffering? Because my pension will not exactly cover that condo in Oahu.

So I suck it up, put on all the clothes possible that still allow mobility, swear a lot, trudge across the parking lot hoping my cars block heater has not perished overnight. Worst comes to worst, maybe I can cuddle up to that polar bear squatter in the front seat and pray for an early spring!

Manitoba has a compelling opportunity to lead Canada not just in repairing its health care system, but in transforming it through the adoption of innovative medicine. As pressures mount from aging populations, chronic disease, and workforce shortages, incremental change may not be enough. Manitoba can lead by showing how advancing testing and normalizing cutting-edge medical approaches.

A

central pillar of this transformation is the

7

‘Manitoba's biomedical industry' u

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Hon. Uzoma Asagwara, Marianne Cerilli, Romel Dhalla, Dorothy Dobbie, Shauna Dobbie, Zofia Dove, Carly Edmundson, Doug Eyolfson, Stefano Grande, Jane Hebden, Evelyn Jacks, Kevin Klein, Andrea Ladouceur, Ian Leatt, David Leis, Myron Love, Fred Morris, Seneka Samarasinghe, Trudy Schroeder, Rochelle Squires, Wayne Weedon.

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ISSUES IN THE NEWS

Churchill was again in the news recently, as the premier announced another quarter of a million dollars for a “market sounding study” to examine the commercial feasibility of expanding the capacity of the port. This brings federal provincial taxpayer funding of the port of Churchill and the Arctic Gateway rail line to some $560 million since 2022 . There are no publicly available financial reports from either government to show where the money has been invested.

Meanwhile the Premier was heard calling out for private investment in Hudson Bay.

Well, Premier, here’s the good news. Private investment is eager to get involved but it needs one very clear signal – a signal from you, as the leader of our provincial government, that you are ready to take development of Port Nelson seriously.

to Churchill, 250 km away, over discontinuous permafrost.

As some readers may recall, the National Centre of Excellence and Innovation in Maritime Security last June published another report on the vital importance of a second port for Hudson Bay. They recommended that this be, as proposed by the NeeStaNan Corridor, near the mouth of the Nelson River. This was a follow up to their March 2025 report, The Case for NeeStaNan, in which they outlined the security and safety issues associated with a second port in the Bay and why it should be located at or near the Port Nelson location.

A lot of ink has been spent on the topic of oil and gas and pipelines. NeeStaNan is not contemplating a pipeline through northern Manitoba. Instead, it would tap into the existing line at Yorkton, Saskatchewan, where a natural gas plant could be built to feed thermos rail cars to transport the liquefied natural gas product to a permanently moored container ship at the end of the Port Nelson wharf in deep water and away from the silting at the shoreline. Here transport ships could transfer the product from the container ship to their own holds for delivery to the ports on the Atlantic side of the world. This negates the need for immediate long-term construction, allowing Manitoba to begin meeting the demand very quickly, while building out the additional facilities for other transport as needed.

Dorothy Dobbie

The rationale for two ports includes the danger of having just one access point in a challenging environment. So many things can go wrong to prevent movement of goods in or out of and to and from the ports(s). With only one port in operation, the risks to the shipper become paramount in its decision to use this route. Having a backup is critical in setting aside such concerns.

Hence the notion that the two ports should co-operate and support one another even in competition – they both stand to have a net gain. Secondly, is the opportunity for expansion, which is limited at Churchill. Thirdly, and not mentioned by the report, is the tourism industry in Churchill which relies on the Belugas as much as the polar bears, never mind the conservation issue. The whales give birth in the fresh water of the Churchill River, whereas at Port Nelson, the wharf would be built away from shore out to deep water and out of the estuary and hence away from any birthing that may take place there.

NeeStaNan is very do-able with a short lead time. The rail bed for the line from Amery to the Bay is already in place. Laying the track the remaining 117 km could be done in a year. Completing road access to tidewater will add important guarantees to access and egress for shippers. There is already an allseason road to Amery and extending that to Port Nelson over the esker ridge would be faster and cheaper than running a road

A large commercial port would do so much for Manitoba. We are much closer to may markets through Hudson Bay than through the west coast and the Panama Canal. Port Nelson is at least a day closer to British ports than Halifax. In Manitoba, we manufacture a huge number of products from buses to aircraft parts to farm equipment to pharmaceuticals to foodstuffs and more, paying exorbitant rates and suffering long delays to use alternative Canadian ports for export. NeeStaNan, added to the Churchill MOU, could finally allow CentrePort reach its full potential as the tri-modal, duty-free transfer point from across north America to points abroad.

Everywhere the plan for NeeStaNan is presented, it meets with wide approval and enthusiasm. And when it is understood that the line and the port would be owned and controlled by northern First nations, there is even more interest. The proponent vows that First Nations will have final control, owning the line and the port, and they will not be sidelined to a token role only.

A week ago, a Northern Transportation Conference was held at the University of Manitoba. Both the Port of Churchill and NeeStaNan were on the agenda. The interest in NeeStaNan was positive and supportive – why? Because it just makes sense. And NeeStaNan is more than ready to work with and support Churchill and the Arctic Gateway railway. Yet Arctic Gateway management wants nothing to do with NeeStaNan.

The Premier has mentioned his understanding of the need for a second port many times. NeeStaNan has been working on the plan for seven years and its plans are well developed. What is needed now is the Premier’s intervention to bring the two ports together to have a thorough airing of all the issues so we can get this very important project going. Once that is done, the private sector funds will flow.

New Manitoba Trade Alliance strengthens inland, air & arctic corridors

Anew agreement is uniting CentrePort Canada with the Port of Churchill and Winnipeg Airports Authority in a first-of-its-kind trade partnership.

Together with Prairies Economic Development Canada and the Province of Manitoba, Arctic Gateway Group (AGG), Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA), and CentrePort Canada Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) called the Ports Manitoba Project. The agreement will strengthen Manitoba’s trade network, diversify Canadian trade routes, and improve access for businesses to global markets.

This MOU brings together the combined strengths of government partners and three of Manitoba’s most important transportation and logistics assets:

• The Port of Churchill and Hudson Bay Railway, owned by 41 northern and Indigenous communities through Arctic Gateway Group (AGG);

• CentrePort Canada, one of North America’s largest trimodal inland ports and Foreign Trade Zones;

• Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA), a major Canadian international cargo airport.

Under the new partnership, the three organizations together with government partners commit to developing an integrated, resilient supply chain that moves goods and people more efficiently across air, land and sea. The agreement emphasizes shared goals of expanding access to international markets, increasing trade capacity, attracting international investment, and leveraging Manitoba’s central location and maritime access through Hudson Bay.

“Building one Canadian economy means working with key partners to strengthen the trade corridors that bring Prairie products to domestic and global markets,” said the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada. “This initiative advances that work and builds on our government’s recent investments in Arctic Gateway Group, the Port of Churchill and CentrePort which have improved supply-chain efficiency, reduced barriers to interprovincial trade, and advanced trade diversification.”

Manitoba’s geographic advantage is central to the initiative.

“Manitoba sits at the centre of the country, and now we’re building our place at the centre of trade,” said Jamie Moses, Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation for the Province of Manitoba. “With partner-

ships like this — and initiatives like the Manitoba CrownIndigenous Corporation — we’re working alongside our transportation sector partners and Indigenous nations to make sure major projects deliver real benefits for Manitobans. That’s how we create jobs, grow the economy, and strengthen Manitoba’s role in global trade.”

The partnership links AGG’s northern transportation network, which includes Canada’s only rail-connected deep-water Arctic port, with Winnipeg’s year-round air cargo capabilities and CentrePort’s unparalleled rail, road and industrial land infrastructure.

“Canada needs new routes to global markets, and Manitoba is primed to step up and deliver,” said Chris Avery, President & CEO of Arctic Gateway Group. “By bringing together the Port of Churchill, Winnipeg’s international airport, and CentrePort, we’re aligning Canada’s Arctic Trade Corridor with its largest inland port and its premier cargo airport to build something far greater than the sum of its parts.”

CentrePort Canada will play a central role in supporting companies seeking streamlined access to multiple modes of transportation.

“Companies around the world are looking for reliable, resilient supply chains, and Manitoba is ideally positioned to deliver,” said Carly Edmundson, President & CEO of CentrePort Canada Inc. “By working together, we catalyze Manitoba's trade-enabling infrastructure to allow goods to move more easily throughout Canada, and enhance our connections with global markets.”

Nick Hays, President & CEO of Winnipeg Airports Authority, emphasized the long-term benefits of collaboration.

“This MOU is about strengthening how Manitoba’s trade and transportation assets work together,” he said. “Improved multi-modal coordination enables a more integrated and resilient trade network. This in turn supports long-term economic opportunity for the province and for Canada.”

The MOU outlines several areas of collaboration, including:

• Providing a single-window access to services, business connections and support for companies who want to invest;

• Enhancing Foreign Trade Zone access and usage, leveraging the 15 free trade agreements held by Canada;

• Building a resilient and integrated supply chain between The Port of Churchill, CentrePort Canada, and the Winnipeg Airports Authority to allow companies to access global trade partners; and

• Supporting the ongoing development of the Port of Churchill and Hudson’s Bay Rail Line, CentrePort Canada and the Winnipeg Airports Authority.

This agreement strengthens Manitoba’s capacity to compete globally, positioning the province as a logistics leader, a crucial continental link, and a foundation for long-term Arctic economic development.

Carly Edmundson is the President & CEO of CentrePort Canada Inc.

Thinking bigger with tax reform in Manitoba

credits, robbing the real value from a raise in income. It’s a way for governments to reduce their debt; but it’s also a drag on the economy, and an “antiaffordability” move.

In Saskatchewan, Lower Taxes. Saskatchewan, on the other hand, is raising its basic personal exemption, spousal exemption and equivalent-to-spouse amount under the Saskatchewan Affordability Act by $500 to $20,381. The child exemption is being increased and there will be a supplementary amount for seniors. A family of four will pay no provincial income tax on its first $65,000 of income. As well, all of these amounts are indexed.

an acute shortage of rich people ”, to emphasize that the answer is no, they can’t. In fact, this group already pays a disproportionate amount of tax.

According to the Fraser Institute, the top 20 per cent of income-earning families pay nearly two-thirds (62.7 per cent) of federal and provincial income taxes while earning less than half (46.4 per cent) of the country’s total income. Comparatively, the bottom 20 per cent of income-earning families pay 0.8 per cent of all personal income taxes.

The results? In 2024, Saskatchewan's real GDP grew by an estimated 3.1–3.4%, putting it in the top tier of provincial growth. In 2025-2026 it’s growth rate is expected to be 2.1%, slightly behind Alberta’s top provincial growth rate of 2.3% . This compares to Manitoba’s low projected 1.3% growth rate. Saskatchewan also has one of Canada’s lowest debt ratios.

The Folly of Taxing the Top 1%ers. Politically speaking it’s always tempting to ask the “Top 1%” to pay more at budget time to help pay down debt and fund services. This time it was a property tax hike on million dollar homes. But that won’t help average Manitobans much. The bigger question is whether the Top 1% pay can for all the taxes society needs to operate?

The late federal Finance Minister Michael Wilson once quipped “Canada has

Winnipeg’s Izzy Asper said it all when he wrote in his 1970 book, The Benson Iceberg: A Critical Analysis of the White Paper on Tax Reform in Canada, “The statistical evidence indicates that upper-bracket Canadians do not have capital and income in such significant amounts as to be capable of doing much for the lower-bracket group, even if all of their wealth were redistributed.”

Yet it is true that the rich do get richer even in a financial crisis. A 2014 OECD study, entitled “Focus on Top Incomes and Taxation in OECD Countries: Was the crisis a game changer?” found that the financial crisis of 2008 caused a temporary drop in top-1% incomes. But, in fact, those top incomes recovered quickly not just here, but in many countries. Why is that? One reason is that top earners had higher wages, salaries, bonuses and stock options, which speaks to education, talent and risk-taking. But their incomes were also diversified and tax-efficient.

Lower earners tend to invest in interest-generating investments which are subject to high tax rates, similar to employment and pension income. Higher earners generated more passive income from their investments over time and it came from source such as dividends, capital gains, and rental income. This increased their wealth while averaging down their marginal rate of tax.

It’s noteworthy that in Canada, the richest of the rich receive about 20% of their income from capital investments; in France, that figure is almost 60%.

But the real game changer, was that after the 2008 financial crisis, top rates of personal taxes decreased in almost all the OECD countries. Why is that both important, and fair?

Economic Growth and Tax Reform. Canada has lagged far behind its peers in the G7, recording the slowest per capital income growth over the past decade. This not an “elbows up” achievement for us. Harmful taxation has had much to do with that.

In a paper published this month by the C.D. Howe Institute, entitled “Big Bang” Tax Reform: Unleashing Growth in the Canadian Economy , the learned authors envisioned a tax reform that would return prosperity through economic growth. Best of all, by restructuring the tax system, and reducing both personal and corporate taxes, they argue that we could raise living standards as a primary solution to the current affordability crisis. It’s worth a read.

From Good to Great. Here in Manitoba, we could quickly catch up to the best economic growth trajectory in the country, set by Alberta and Saskatchewan. But, to boost standards of living in an affordability crisis, and kick start the economy, it’s important to change

course on tax policy.

We can remove the hidden taxes produced by bracket creep and raise the levels of the personal amounts. This would immediately put more money in worker’s pockets every two weeks to pay for healthy groceries, a comfortable home, and investments for a rainy day. It would also support the small businesses across the provinces, who are the backbone of Manitoba’s diverse economy.

It’s also worthwhile to consider who will pay the majority of taxes in the future. Tomorrow’s high income earners, are today’s highly educated graduates from our excellent educational institutes. They are in big demand both inter-provincially and internationally. By bringing back its now cancelled graduate tuition fee tax credit, Manitoba could encourage these young people to start their careers and families in our beautiful province, and put down roots.

In Short: We may just need to think bigger. Manitoba’s 2026 budget had three themes: Good Jobs. Lower Costs. Better Health Care. This was somewhat uninspiring for the times, considering the growth challenges our economy faces. Fostering an environment for great jobs and great talent to hold them, Manitoba could well be in first place for economic growth in the near future, with all the benefits that come from that: higher tax revenues, lower debt servicing costs, and more spending room for great, not just better health care, and other prized services in our society.

Evelyn Jacks is an award winning business leader, a tax literacy advocate, and best-selling author of 55 books on the subject of tax planning and family wealth management. Hear her podcast, Real Tax News You Can Use. Listen here or anywhere you do your streaming.

IF YOU ARE A SENIOR. . . . . .

You should consider having the following in place

Will

The preparation of a will may seem like a daunting task, however, it is essential to ensure that your property is disposed of according to your wishes upon your death. If you pass away without a valid will, the law states what is to happen to your estate.

Power of Attorney

A power of attorney is a document which appoints an individual to handle your affairs in the event you become mentally incapable of making your own decisions. Nothing prevents you from continuing to make your own decisions while you are still competent.

A power of attorney is an extremely valuable document to have in place in case anything happens to you which affects your mental ability, such as a stroke, coma or dementia.

Health Care Directive (Living Will)

A health care directive, commonly called a living will, is a document which appoints an individual to make decisions with regard to your health care only, while you are alive but unable to express your decisions yourself. This document is distinct from a power of attorney and deals only with health care decisions such as whether life sustaining treatments, such as CPR or blood transfusion, should be continued or withdrawn.

*Plus GST and PST - Rates are per person.

* plus GST and PST - Rates are per person. Home and hospital visits are also available $250.00* (includes both meetings) *plus GST and PST

Can we fix the health care system in Manitoba?

Irecently had occasion to attend an emergency ward in Winnipeg – not because I was close to dying but because I was dealing with something that might have been serous and needed a quick assessment. It was too late in the day to see my local doctor, but it wasn’t something that was safe to leave until morning.

And therein lies one of the problems. Back in the day, your family doc was part of group that took turns being “on call” to deal with just such possible emergencies. Now the only recourse in the closest emergency ward – or so I thought. There is confusion here. Do you go to Emergency, or Urgent Care? What is Access? Did you even know all three existed and if you did, do you know how they should be used? I didn’t and I am generally pretty in-the-know about most things. Turns out there is a vast array of choices. I'll explore that at the end of this story.

Clearly, most others in the emergency room were in the dark same as I was. According to my research, most of the patients probably could have gone to Urgent Care and most had been waiting 12 hours or more even though the screen said the wait was around 10 to 11 hours. An elderly lady in an electric wheelchair sat with her injured hand – perhaps broken – for more than 12 hours with nothing to eat or drink unless she wheeled herself to the cafeteria that apparently existed somewhere outside emergency.

Why couldn’t that have all been done by one person at one time? After six hours, I decided to leave. My issue was subsiding. Wanting to be fair to staff, I advised the intake nurse of this and she sent me to the assessment nurse, who had all the results of the tests and said she couldn’t force me to stay, but that my vitals were stable. I left. Then I had a half hour fight trying to get out of the parking lot because I wasn’t advised of the system there…it’s a long a stupid story and I will spare you.

No quick fixes

There is no quick fix for our ailing medical system in Manitoba, but it can be done and it must start now.

The province is putting a lot of money into healthcare. Kinew has added $2 billion dollars to a budget of $7 billion. Manitoba has added roughly 1,200 healthcare staff including 200 or more new doctors. We’ve added over 300 new hospital beds and around 140 long-term care beds. We’ve added new diagnostic tools, including a mobile MRI machine in northern Manitoba.

Dobbie vs Dobbie

The bottom line is, the system is oversystematized. There are too many silos, too many little compartments, all requiring their own systems and their people to manage them. You end up with three people doing the job of one with a few others tacked on just to handle the traffic. My experience exposed just one tiny corner of the mess but multiply that by hundreds of processes; the costs become astronomical while the efficiencies deteriorate and finally fail.

Money does not solve the problem. Indeed, it exacerbates it by masking the real issues. More money, more systems. More systems, more complications. More complication, more people and money needed to deal with them.

These are genuine gains, but they have not yet translated into consistent improvements in access or continuity of care. Worse, the wait time for MRI scans has increased.

What also needs to happen is a shift in the way healthcare is delivered. If we want to keep the new doctors and nurses we’re fighting for, we have to give them a reason to stay.

Let’s focus on the primary care system because if we can make that run smoothly the rest may start to follow.

To begin, an individual’s healthcare can be seen to by professionals who aren’t doctors. Sometimes you need a nurse, sometimes a nurse practitioner, sometimes you just need someone to okay the pharmacy to refill a prescription you’ve been taking for decades. Other times you need a specialist.

If you are a doctor, you need to ask yourself if your time is better spent seeing another patient or coordinating with other members of your team on how to care for patients. In our system, only one of those brings in money.

Doctors spend a significant portion of their time on administrative work. Nurses work high levels of overtime. Many tasks done by highly trained professionals could be shifted or shared. A better system reduces duplication, simplifies documentation, and moves administrative work away from clinicians. It also uses teams so that care is delivered by the right person at the right time. We can add as many personnel to the roster as you like, but if we can’t keep them because they are exhausted, why add them at all? Predictable schedules, manageable workloads, and proper support are what keep people in the system.

When doctors are doing work that could be handled by others, when patients repeat the same story at every step, and when care happens too late, capacity is lost. Better organization can unlock a meaningful amount of that capacity without waiting years to train more professionals. “Reducing bureaucracy” is often used as a slogan, but the real target is duplication and delay. Clinicians should not be entering the same information multiple times. Referrals should not depend on manual processes. Scheduling systems should not operate in isolation.

But nobody redirected her to Urgent Care when she arrived in the morning, so there she sat for a full day. They had done an Xray, so they knew what was wrong. This should have been communicated to her with the options. Instead, every two hours, a nurse would come and take her “vitals” and that was that.

I am not blaming the facility, which in this case was the emergency room at Grace. I am blaming a system that was changed several years ago, but in all this time, the changes have not been properly communicated to the community. There is no ongoing advisory to ensure that people know where to go and how to assess what they should do if they become ill. Additionally, hours for the other services are limited and the whole system is too confusing.

That is just one of the systemic issues people seeking health care face. While in the waiting room, I had occasion to see a few other telling problems with the way the system was presenting care even for the most drastically ill. The triage area had three desks and attached to that is a labyrinth of treatment rooms, each dedicated to a different purpose. I visited three of the rooms with waits in between as three different nurses were involved. The first was just a general assessment. The second was the blood test and the third was a blood-pressure test.

How to fix this? Start over. Begin with first contact – emergency. It is important to begin at the beginning.

The second answer is to allow competition in all fields. Let the systems learn from each other. I studied health care systems around the world for almost a year with the idea of doing a documentary about health care (until my partner in the project got cold feet). What I learned is that all the best and most efficient health care comes from two-tier systems where both private and public care is available to those who need it or request it.

Under the Canada Health Act, it is legal for docs to opt out of the public system, and this is what happens in six out of ten provinces, including B.C. People can choose to pay their doctor a retainer. One person I know pays his doc $1,500 a year and gets all the care he needs when he needs it. That frees up the public system from caring for an aging man.

However, Manitoba and Ontario both prevent this. In Manitoba there is a law that dictates what a doctor can bill – no more that the public system pays! There is no incentive to opt out.

Clearly, we need changes. This should not be a political matter. The answers should be dictated by best practices. Period!

7 ‘Health care in Manitoba' u

Team-based clinics should be the standard model in population centres, and they are not. Outside the cities, population hubs can send people to smaller towns; say, a nurse practitioner three times per week and a doctor once per week. In addition to giving you options, teams also make the cost of administrative work a lot more affordable.

Patients should be attached to clinics, not individual physicians. Most routine and follow-up care does not require a physician. Our system is built as though it does, and that mismatch drives cost, delays, and burnout.

Doctors are still largely paid per visit, while nurse practitioners and other team members are usually salaried. That sounds like a technical detail, but it shapes behaviour. A system that pays for volume produces volume. A system that relies on teams requires time to coordinate care, share responsibility, and shift work to the right provider. Until those incentives are aligned, teambased care will remain harder to implement than it should be.

Which brings us to how our medical records are kept. There is still no single, shared patient record across the system and there should be. There must be. Information sits in separate systems that do not reliably connect. Tests are duplicated. Referrals stall because information does not move with the patient. This is not a technology problem. It is an organizational one. We already have the technology to do this. What we do not have is a system that requires it.

A shared patient record, centralized intake for referrals, and coordinated scheduling would remove a great deal of friction. So would eliminating lowvalue approvals that rarely change decisions. If the system is improving, people should be able to see it.

Meaningful change will take years, not months. The system cannot be stopped and rebuilt. It has to be improved while it continues to operate. The practical approach is to build better models alongside the current system, allow clinicians to move into them voluntarily, and expand what works.

If the system is improving, people should not have to be told. We should experience it.

Manitoba’s biomedical industry: a winning horse eager to get out of the barn!

Continued from page 1

integration of precision medicine. Advances in genomics and personalized therapies allow treatments to be tailored to individual patients, improving outcomes while reducing unnecessary interventions. Manitoba could invest in genomic screening programs (delivered here in Manitoba vs the current out of province model) and partner with research institutions to bring precision medicine into care. By embedding these tools in public health systems – rather than limiting them to specialized or private settings – the province can ensure equitable access. We are in the time where the cure for Type 1 Diabetes is going through Health Canada approval, are we ready to adopt it? Can we be the first to show

other provinces the need to be bold in this space?

Digital health innovation is equally critical. Manitoba can expand the use of artificial intelligence in diagnostics, such as imaging analysis and predictive modeling for disease risk. AI tools can see what the human eye and mind can't process. When used under the watchful care of a trained expert we can accelerate progress.

Andrea Ladouceur

We see leadership in Manitoba for virtual care platforms – allowing patients to seek care at home rather than in hospitals. This is especially important in rural and northern communities, where access to in-person care is limited.

Clinical trials represent another major opportunity. Manitoba can position

itself as a preferred destination for innovative research. Expanding access to clinical trials not only accelerates the adoption of new treatments but also gives Manitobans early access to potentially life-saving therapies while saving healthcare money.

However, adopting innovative medicine requires more than technology – it demands a supportive workforce and culture. Health professionals must be trained to use new tools effectively, and systems must be designed to integrate innovation without increasing burnout.

Manitoba can invest in continuous education programs and create innovation-focused roles within health organizations to champion change and guide implementation.

Equity must remain at the forefront. Innovative medicine often risks widening disparities if access is uneven. Manitoba can counter this by prioritizing deployment in underserved and Indigenous communities, ensuring that new

Digital tech & AI impact assessments

“Social media is making politics more about public relations, posting selfies from events, rather than policy discussions, and not just on social media but limiting the possibility of real debate of issues at all.

Nobel Prize Winnipeg Filipino-American journalist, Maria Ressa, in her book How to Stand Up to A Dictator, chronicles her work holding the Duterte Philippine Government accountable. Besides dealing with her charges of cyber liable through her digital media company, Rapper, the book is also an indictment of social media and its impact on people and society, particularly on democracy. Turns out the Philippines was the test run for Facebook’s influence on an electorate and elections. Since then, the “rage farming” and misinformation, has been repeated in many countries, driving hate and polarization, as well as loss of journalism.

sues. Social media is making politics more about public relations, posting selfies from events, rather than policy discussions, and not just on social media but limiting the possibility of real debate of issues at all.

Parties now hold online “town halls” where the participants can’t ask questions or make comments, party nominations are closed to the media, potential candidates have their social media screened and are denied nomination papers if posts are seen as too controversial.

The book Zucked, by Roger McNamee, a former Facebook investor and manager, turned whistleblower, covers how social media, especially Facebook, initially promised to democratize political engagement, but instead has become a force to erode civil political discourse and sow divisions that are exploited by authoritarian politicians. The impact on our health and wellbeing, as well as social cohesion, is well documented, including how online violence is jumping off-line into real physical and emotional violence.

Marianne Cerilli

After talking with Manitoba politicians from all parties, it now seems there is a chill effect on open discourse due to a fear of negative social media posts spreading. The fear of being attacked on social media or, having posts used by opposing parties, is leading to a dumbing down of politics, an avoidance of real is-

Many of Ms. Ressa's analysis and ideas are missing from legislation in Canada to prevent foreign interference, or in Manitoba, to stop deep fakes. Her ideas are drawn from environment and health impact assessments to get out ahead of new technologies, but they could also assess existing technologies. Tech impact assessment could anticipate the effects of tech as they do for economic developments, and the appropriate regulation could be prepared before the tech is released.

Tech impact assessments on digital media could be successfully applied to technology not only to assess the environmental impact on mineral and water usage, but also assess the impacts on our mental health, civic life and democracy. Trying to regulate digital tech and AI after it is launched, can be like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube. We also need innovation in this area to catch up to the impact of tech on our health and lives.

Applying precautionary principles to the development of AI and other technologies has so far been excluded from efforts at the Federal or Provincial levels. Meanwhile, Wales just passed a new law that elected politicians could lose their seat for lying. And other jurisdictions are putting age restrictions on social media. Manitoba recently had an “all-party committee on

technologies are culturally appropriate and accessible. By doing so, the province can demonstrate that innovation and equity are not competing goals, but mutually reinforcing ones. By embracing precision medicine, accelerating access to new therapies, investing in digital tools, and fostering a culture of innovation, Manitoba can lead Canada into a new era of health care – one where cutting-edge medicine is not the exception, but the standard. Andrea Ladouceur the president and CEO of the Bioscience Associations of Manitoba. She is a visionary, results driven leader shaping strategy and transformation across finance, technology, energy, climate, health, and the economy. She turns bold ideas into measurable impact by building high-value partnerships, navigating risk, and fostering true collaboration. Through her leadership, Andrea has mobilized the BAM team to accelerate innovation, unlock talent, and strengthen the growth and competitiveness of the bioscience industry.

local journalism” looking into the loss of rural and community newspapers, (ironically it was announced by the government, as an “all-party” committee in the legislature without the input of opposition MLAs). After this rocky start, the committee had about six community meetings, with 43 presentations of 15 minutes each, and produced a short 8-page report. The main question was on how the government could support local journalism? Just like video killed the radio star, digital media is killing print media.

The recommendations focus on propping up local journalism without any attempt to address the other side of the problem, rampaging tech and AI.

• Exploring options to support local journalism through tax credits,

• Ensuring a minimum of 25 per cent of government advertising goes to local journalism.

• Exploring a regular reporting mechanism for government advertising.

It was disappointing the report did not include data tracking the loss of local journalism, nor research evidence on the impacts on democracy and community life, and the impact assessment approach was completely missed. Find the report at https://www.gov.mb.ca/ asset_library/en/infomb/2025_2026/all-party-journalism-committee-report.pdf

We are like frogs in the pot of rapidly heating water of AI and digital media, and we are being cooked alive. Tech is changing how we do everything, how we spend our time, how we relate to each other and how we make sense of a world careening to war, climate tipping points, and hate. Apocalyptic movies about AI and tech feature humans against machines, but it seems the algorithms have been more sinister; able to turn us against each other. And we don’t even seem interested in anticipating the next genie before it is out of the bottle.

Marianne Cerilli is an educator and former MLA who works at the intersection of learning, community development and politics.

Can we fix the health care system in Manitoba?

Continued from page 6

A quick guide to the complexity of accessing care in Winnipeg

The Winnipeg Health Authority operates a variety of facilities. So do other health authorities in Manitoba. In addition to the government run clinics, there are about 50 private walk-ins, but docs even in these clinics are still part of the disincentivizing public system. The Manitoba Health system is complex, overlapping and expensive, but does it deliver? It would seem not.

QuickCare clinics are staffed by nurse practitioners or registered nurs-

es who offer diagnosis and treatment of common ailments like sore throats, earaches, minor rashes, and stomach pain.

They are open limited hours from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 pm and 4:30 PM on weekends and holidays. There are two extended care locations open evenings, one at the Grace Hospital and one at Concordia. Two others that are not open at St. Boniface and Victoria. Walk-in Connected Care are clinics run by the health authority, staffed by nurse practitioners or registered

nurses offering in-person, same-day care for, but not limited to, minor infections, sprains, rashes, coughs, and sore throats. Same hours as QuickCare.

The two agencies seem to duplicate each other, although for some unknown reason, the latter has the ability to connect with your doctor, but apparently Quick Care does not.

ACCESS Centres provide both health and social services. They offer primary care from doctors and nurse practitioners as well as home care,

mental health support, and income assistance. There are seven of these centres in the city: Downtown, Fort Garry, NorWest, River East, St. Boniface, Transcona, and Winnipeg West. Medinav is the internet booking system offering access to the above and operated by the Province outside the Winnipeg Health Authority.

To find out where to go you can try calling Health Links at (204)7888200.

If all else fails and you are totally confused and in the dark, call 911!

Is that a scam call? Here are some clues

Last month was Fraud Month, but you should be aware and on guard every month. Fraud continues to be one of the leading crimes affecting older adults, and scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods and tactics. Staying alert and supporting one another is therefore essential!

Talking about fraud can be uncomfortable or upsetting, and that's completely normal. It's important to remember that fraud can impact anyone regardless of their age, education or background. You are not alone in this fight!

Here are a few of the scams to watch out for:

Grandparent scam. Scammers impersonate a grandchild or relative in urgent trouble, claiming an accident, arrest or medical emergency. They pressure victims to send money immediately while insisting they keep it a secret. Protect yourself by reaching out directly to the family member using a known phone number and never send money under pressure.

Investment scam. Scammers promise high returns with little or no risk. They often use fake credentials and high-pressure tactics, presenting themselves with professional looking materials to appear legitimate. Once money is sent, scammers disappear! Scams have become prevalent, where fraudsters boast of successful investments to persuade victims, and use fake online trading platforms to convince individuals to send money or cryptocurrency.

Always do thorough research, verify registrations with provincial securities regulators, and never rush into an investment decision.

Romance scams

Scammers create fake online profiles on dating sites or social media to forge emotional connections with victims, ultimately requesting money for reasons such as travel expenses or medical emergencies. They may even offer to “coach” you on fake crypto investments. They typically avoid in person meetings and provide inconsistent personal details. Protect yourself by being cautious with relationships that move quickly and never send money to someone you haven't met in person. Bank investigator scams. Impersonating bank staff, law enforcement or security investigators, scammers claim that your account has been compromised

and instruct you to withdraw or transfer funds to a “safe” account that belongs to the scammer. Remember, legitimate banks will never ask you to move your money. Always verify directly with your bank! It might also be a call from “Amazon”, or another vendor you did not order from, claiming that someone has charged a large amount to your account. They start asking for personal information. Just hang up.

Recovery scams. Following a fraud incident, scammers may contact victims, pretending to be from police, government, banks or recovery services. They claim they can help recover lost funds for a fee, preying on the victim's hope and urgency. Some victims may search online for help, but this can lead them to fake recovery company websites that exploit their vulnerability.

Unidentified caller. Never answer a call from an unidentified caller. You can leave a message on your voice mail instructing callers to leave a message if they want you to call them back just in case some legit person calls. But even be cautious about answering the call from companies you may or may not deal with.

Remember that legitimate organizations do not charge for recovery services. Always verify the authenticity of any recovery service and seek assistance from trusted and established sources.

No matter what new technologies or methods scammers use, your best defense against fraud is to recognize, reject and report!

The centre of gravity in downtown Winnipeg is shifting –and it’s happening faster than many people realize

Downtown has always been a place in motion.

In its earliest days, it grew as a district of commerce, drawing banks, hotels, and trading posts to what would become the economic heart of Western Canada. Over time, it evolved into a dense and vibrant hub where office towers stood alongside department stores and restaurants. For decades, institutions like Eaton’s and Hudson’s Bay brought thousands of people into the core every day, making downtown not just a place to work, but a place to gather.

That began to change with the rise of suburban shopping malls and big-box retail. As consumer habits shifted, so too did the geography of the city. Retail followed rooftops outward, and downtown felt the loss. Eaton’s closed, leaving behind a massive vacancy that signaled a broader trend. Other followed, and commercial activity gradually dispersed into suburban strip malls and shopping centres.

Offices emptied as tens of thousands of workers stayed home. Streets that once buzzed with activity fell quiet. Projects paused. For a time, it felt as though years of progress were at risk of slipping away.

Even so, downtown Winnipeg proved resilient. In the years leading up to 2020, it was undergoing a meaningful renaissance. New residential development began to reshape neighbourhoods like the Exchange District and Chinatown. What was once a largely commercial area with only a handful of residential buildings grew into a mixed-use community with dozens of places for people to live. Across downtown, thousands of new rental units and condominiums were added, supported by more than $1 billion in investment.

Major projects helped redefine what the core could be. The Canada Life Centre anchored a growing sports and entertainment district. True North Square introduced new public spaces, offices, and residential options. Historic buildings like the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre were revitalized, blending heritage with new uses. Momentum was building.

Then the pandemic hit.

Almost overnight, the energy drained from the core.

But cities, like people, reveal their character in moments of disruption. In Winnipeg, the response was not to retreat, but to rethink. A shared understanding emerged among community leaders, governments, developers, and residents: a strong city depends on a strong downtown. That realization has helped spark a new phase of transformation—one defined less by recovery and more by reinvention. One of the most pressing challenges has been what to do with the growing number of vacant or underused commercial and heritage buildings. Downtown Winnipeg is home to roughly 1,500 historic structures, and more than 10 per cent of them sit empty or underutilized. These buildings are not just relics of the past; they are opportunities for the future.

In response, CentreVenture Development Corporation and the City of Winnipeg introduced targeted incentives to encourage the conversion of these properties into housing. The approach is both practical and visionary: preserve heritage while addressing the growing demand for residential space downtown.

The results are already taking shape. Projects are underway to transform several iconic buildings, including the St. Charles Hotel, which will add 140 new housing units, and the Marlborough Hotel, where more than 300 units are planned. Other developments include 114 units at the Maws Garage and Sandford Building, 28 units at 290 Garry Street, and 14 units in the Alloway Building on McDermot Avenue. Together, these projects represent hundreds of new homes carved out of Winnipeg’s architectural history.

They are part of a broader wave of investment re-

shaping the downtown core. The $650-million redevelopment of Portage Place will transform a oncestruggling shopping centre into a mixed-use campus anchored by health and community services. The former Hudson’s Bay building is being reimagined through the Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn project, bringing new purpose to one of the city’s most iconic structures. Meanwhile, the Manitoba Métis Federation is advancing an $86-million plan that includes a new heritage centre, further strengthening cultural and community ties downtown.

These are not just construction projects—they are commitments. Commitments to density, to vibrancy, and to a more inclusive and resilient urban core.

At the heart of this transformation is housing. More than 4,000 new homes are anticipated downtown over the next decade. Longer term, the goal is even more ambitious: to double the downtown population by 2050.

This matters because people bring life to a city. As residential density increases, so too does the demand for grocery stores, cafés, services, and small businesses. Street-level activity returns. Public spaces feel safer and more welcoming.

None of this progress happens in isolation. It is the result of coordinated effort—municipal and provincial leadership, federal housing programs, private investment, and community advocacy all pulling in the same direction. Organizations like CentreVenture have played a key role since 1999, helping to guide development, foster partnerships, and unlock opportunities in the downtown.

The work is far from finished. Challenges remain, from affordability to safety to ensuring that growth benefits all Winnipeggers. But the trajectory is clear.

The centre of gravity is shifting once again—this time back toward the heart of the city. And if the current momentum continues, downtown Winnipeg will emerge stronger, more vibrant, and more connected than ever before.

Rochelle Squires is the President and CEO of CentreVenture Development Corporation.

A Manitoban you should know: Bill Loewen

Itook a photo of Bill Loewen on the evening he was presented with the Governor General’s Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts. This prestigious award was presented to him in 2017 in a star-studded evening that also included Michael Bublé, Michael J. Fox, and Martin Short.

I had the happy responsibility to develop the nomination of Bill Loewen for this award in the fall of 2016 on behalf of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The nomination was anchored by a beautiful letter of support for the nomination from the musicians of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

Bill Loewen passed away on February 4, 2026, and his memorial service on February 23 was graced with presence and active participation of many of Winnipeg’s finest musicians. Their presence and participation in the memorial service was a testament to the long-standing remarkable connection between Bill Loewen and musicians and artists in our community. This connection of respect and appreciation is built on decades of engagement, appreciation, attendance, board membership, and personal friendships.

Like so many people in Manitoba, I am thankful that the example and inspiration, problem solving genius, and thoughtfulness of Bill Loewen was a part of my life.

From their vantage point in seats 31 and 32 of row 16 of the Centennial Concert Hall, Bill and Shirley Loewen attended and enjoyed decades of performances by the WSO. Shirley was very involved in the WSO Women’s Committee for many years, and Bill was a part of the very prestigious group of husbands of active members of the Women’s Committee who took on remarkable volunteer roles themselves.

By the time I became the Executive Director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in 2008, I had worked with Bill on community development projects of many types for more than a decade. I knew that I could trust his advice and his suggestions. Shortly before I started the job, he approached me with two suggestions that served as important pillars in the work we did to strengthen and build capacity within the organization:

1) He was concerned that the WSO tended to disappear between May and September every year, and he felt this was an important period to build audiences for the coming season and to introduce the orchestra to people who would become more open to attending in the future. He offered me enough funds to cover a week of orchestra salary, so that we could run a pilot project to get the orchestra out into the community in a different summer-oriented way. This led to 13 years of taking the orchestra to Lake of the Woods, the Forks for Canada Day, Assiniboine Park at the Lyric Stage, a special community concert at the concert hall, and other special performance opportunities for the summer.

2) He funded an annual noon hour recital series at the Millennium Centre (the old CIBC Bank Building on Main Street) that featured musicians of the WSO.

3) Bill also believed that a key to long-term stability for the WSO was related to building the endowment fund, not through a typical capital campaign, but through a series of measures to build a group of people who would form a society that we called the Legacy Circle who would make planned gifts to the WSO in their estates. He was particularly interested in the opportunity of donations from RRSP funds remaining after the holder’s death. We discussed the project, and I was to research the process of working with the banks to find out how that kind of transfer could best be handled, and he was going to try to research some other Canadian arts organizations that had established legacy giving programs.

Several weeks later we met to discuss our findings:

I relayed my challenges getting a clear answer from the banks about whether a charity could be named as the beneficiary on the account registration form.

I looked at Bill, and I saw an expression on his face I had never seen before. What was it? As I think back, the only word I could come up with was that he looked bashful. He said that he had called around to the development departments of a number of Canadian cultural institutions and apparently he felt so bad about just trying to get the information about their legacy giving programs to use as models as we developed ours, that he ended up signing up as a legacy donor for a range of organizations he had not really planned on joining. He joked that his research ended up being much more expensive than he had expected.

I had the opportunity to observe the kindness and care that Bill and Shirley exhibited in so many situations. They had a care for people who might be left out, for those who needed extra help, or faced challenges.

Trudy Schroeder provides project planning and management services to the community through Arts and Heritage Solutions.

Editor’s Note: One of the best things I ever did was to bring Bill into the WS0. It was way, way back in the early 1980s. I had been the chair of the community fundraising committee, which gave me a place on the WSO board. When my term as chair of the committee ended, I nominated Bill to take my place (I stayed on the WSO board as vice-president but resigned a year later as I became chair of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and had my hands full).

Bill never gave up on his lifelong commitment to the WSO and eventually became chair of the board himself. He was generous and tireless in his efforts to support the WSO through some trying times. When I became president of the symphony in 2006, one of my first acts was to make Bill the President Emeritus in recognition

of his dedication and continued support.

The last time we had dinner, it was to talk about and plan for the Symphony, even though he was 94.

Bill Loewen epitomized all the very best of Winnipeg, of the people who built this wonderful city through their courage and brilliance. We will miss you, Bill.

– Dorothy Dobbie

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Canada built a fair society based on merit – why are we abandoning it?

DEI is undermining the foundation Canada was built on: the belief that people succeed through merit and effort

Canadians pride themselves on living in a fair society. Most believe people should be judged by what they do, not by who they are. That principle is called merit. Working hard, earning your place and contributing to the country are the foundations of Canada’s prosperity and stability.

It is also an idea that resonates deeply across political lines. Whether Canadians lean left or right, most still agree that fairness means the same rules for everyone.

But that principle has been steadily eroding over the past decade.

Canada’s traditional model has been simple. Everyone should be treated equally under the law. Everyone should have a fair chance to succeed. From there, results will vary depending on talent, effort and circumstance.

One reason is the rapid spread of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across universities, corporations and governments. While its stated goal is fairness, the evidence increasingly suggests the opposite. In practice, DEI policies often take the form of diversity hiring targets, mandatory training programs and funding requirements tied to equity goals.

Instead of uniting Canadians, DEI risks dividing us. That raises an uncomfortable question.

Is DEI helping Canada, or harming it?

At its core, DEI represents a shift away from equality of opportunity toward equality of outcomes. That distinction matters.

DEI rejects that premise. Instead, it pushes institutions to meet diversity and equity targets set by governments and by the institutions themselves. That often means giving preference to applicants from designated groups while limiting opportunities for others.

Universities provide perhaps the clearest example of how this shift away from merit-based principles is playing out. Institutions once devoted to open debate and the pursuit of truth increasingly find themselves policing speech, ideology and hiring practices.

You can see it in university hiring ads that explicitly limit eligibility to certain identity groups. You can see it in research funding requirements that demand applicants demonstrate commitment to DEI ideology. And you can see it in the growing administrative bureaucracies dedicated to enforcing these policies.

Many Canadians would be surprised at how deeply these systems have embedded themselves in public

institutions. Supporters argue these policies are necessary to correct historical injustices. That is an important discussion. Canada has not always lived up to its ideals of equal treatment and opportunity.

But acknowledging past injustice does not automatically mean these policies work as intended.

The evidence that DEI programs achieve their intended results is far from settled. In the corporate world, for example, claims that diversity initiatives improve business performance remain widely debated.

Some research even suggests the opposite. Rather than reducing tension between groups, mandatory diversity training and identity-based policies can increase resentment and social division.

If that is true, the consequences are serious.

Canada is already facing deep fractures, regional tensions, declining trust in institutions and growing political polarization.

Instead of strengthening social cohesion, these policies risk encouraging Canadians to see one another first through the lens of group identity rather than shared citizenship.

That is the last thing the country needs.

One province has begun pushing back. Alberta has taken steps to dismantle DEI bureaucracies in public universities. The provincial government directed institutions to review

and scale back diversity offices and related programs.

The deeper problem may be institutional inertia. Once bureaucracies are created and funded, they rarely disappear on their own.

So what should Canada do?

First, we need honesty. The debate around DEI is often framed as a choice between compassion and prejudice. That is a false dichotomy. Canadians overwhelmingly support fairness and opportunity for everyone.

Second, we should return to principles that have historically worked. Equal treatment under the law. Meritbased hiring and admissions. Policies that help individuals facing genuine disadvantage, without imposing blanket identity preferences.

Finally, Canadians need to ask tougher questions about the institutions they support. Universities, governments and corporations all depend on public trust. That trust requires transparency and accountability.

The goal should not be to divide Canadians into competing identity groups. It should be to strengthen a shared sense of citizenship.

At its best, Canada succeeds when people believe they are playing by the same rules.

Defending that principle may be one of the most important challenges facing the country today.

David Leis is President and CEO of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy and host of the Leaders on the Frontier podcast.

Slow cooked balsamic glazed pork roast

When dark gets sticky, and sticky gets dangerous... “She starts out tender… ends up sticky. And leaves a stain on your soul.”

You don’t rush a good thing. You don’t rush her –the kind of roast that simmers low, breaks down slow, and builds up into something rich, dark, and dangerously tender. She takes her time, and she’ll take yours if you let her. This isn’t your quickie weeknight dinner – this is a slow seduction that starts with the tang of balsamic, slides into garlic and thyme, and ends with sweet agony as the glaze caramelizes into something almost sinful.

It begins clean: a lean, glistening shoulder, rubbed with attitude –salt, cracked pepper, maybe a little smoked paprika if you like your kisses to sting. Then she gets locked into a warm embrace – low heat, long hours, no interruptions. As she breaks down, you build up, anticipating that moment when the meat shreds under your fork, soft as whispers, dripping with juice, and glistening under a glaze so sticky it ought to come with a warning.

The glaze, oh yes – the secret lover in this tryst. A dark reduction of balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and Dijon, stirred slowly, patiently, until it clings to your spoon like a late-night regret. Drizzle it once. Then again. Watch her shine. And if you find your mouth watering long before she hits the table… well, that’s the whole point, darling.

Chef’s Tip: For an even deeper flavor, marinate the pork shoulder overnight in a balsamic-garlic bath. Let the acid work its magic before the heat takes over. Finish with a broiler blast to caramelize that glaze into a sticky, sweet

crust.

Wicked Twist: Don’t stop at roast – pile it onto buttery brioche buns with a slaw of apple and fennel or shred it into pasta with roasted squash and sage brown butter. Make it beg for reinvention.

Here is what you will need:

3-4 lb pork roast (shoulder or loin)

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup honey

¼ cup soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp salt

1 medium onion, sliced

½ cup chicken broth

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp cornstarch (optional, for thickening)

2 tbsp water (optional, for cornstarch slurry)

The all important how to:

Pat the pork roast dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides to enhance flavor.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork roast for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown, locking in all the juices.

Heat the Slow cooker on high then place the sliced onions at the bottom to create a flavorful bed for the pork to sit on.

In a bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, and thyme until well combined.

Place the seared pork roast on top of the onions. Pour the balsamic glaze mixture over the pork, ensuring it’s well-coated.

Add the chicken broth around the pork to keep it moist during cooking, avoiding washing off the glaze. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender and easily shreds.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker and let it rest

for 10 minutes on a cutting board to retain juices. If desired, strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan. Mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry, then stir into the liquid and simmer until thickened.

Slice the pork, drizzle with glaze, and serve with onions and sides like mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables. Happy Easter Canada built a fair society based on merit. Why are we abandoning it?

Ian Leatt is a trained chef from across the pond.

Dorothy and Shauna’s Garden Shopping Tour

Dorothy Dobbie

One of the joys of living in Manitoba is garden shopping. We are not confined to badly cared for plants from foreign owned box stores as they are in places such as Toronto. Instead, we have a treasure-trove of independent Manitoba-owned businesses who know what will grow and thrive here and who care for their plants with knowledge and love.

One of the favourite springtime and early summer delights for the friends and family of Shauna and I is going on a garden shopping by which I mean taking a full day and heading out to new parts of the city and the surrounding communities to find that perfect new colour, the exact tomatoes we have been looking for, the nice long English cucumbers, those succulents and cactus that amaze us every day of their lives, the new ornamental grass that we have been longing for.

Even those who say they don’t garden can’t resist the pull of this adventure. In Manitoba it is not just rows and rows of plants. Many of the garden centres are like going to a park, which ponds and fountains and treed areas to wander among in search of your favourites.

Often garden centres sell much more than plants. Garden furniture, ornamental planters, gazebos, statuary, birdbaths – the list is limited only by the imagination of the garden centre owner. Some even sell fashion! My favourite outfits come from a certain garden centre near me. Local garden centres are also on my must-do list for Christmas and other gift shopping, too.

Garden centres also offer landscaping services and actually know something about the trees and shrubs they recommend. They give honest advice based on intimate knowledge of the province and its quirky growing climate.

In my 17 years of broadcasting The Gardener on CJOB and later on CJNU, I got to know many of the

local garden centre owners. What a wonderful bunch of people. They always seem to be so positive and generous with their time and advice. When COVID-19 and the chief medical officer were mandating store closures, I was honoured and delighted to be given the task by the Premier of finding a way to keep the garden centres open. It was a vital service to the housebound community as well as to the garden centre operators. People needed that outdoor therapy after being confined to homes. Gardening spiked during that period as people self-healed in the best way of all – by being outdoors in the fresh air and enjoying being with nature.

It occurred to us that many of our readers may not know of all the garden centre riches here in our province. Therefore, we have devised this special section to

OPENING MAY 1

Pre-order your spring plants online for pickup in May!

Online pre-orders end April 15th for Curbside pickup or Home Delivery.

get you acquainted with an annual treat: the Manitoba Garden Centre tour. While we are featuring a couple of early birds here. Watch for an expanded section in the May issue. Meanwhile, as you go to the cottage or visit friends on Lake Winnipeg, take the opportunity to visit Chervrefils Greenhouse for some very special treats.

Glenlea Garden Centre opens May 1, so be the first in line to be sure you get the pick of the pots. And while you are at it, if you are from Winnipeg, be sure to take the scenic route home by driving east on 311 then north on No. 12 and drop in for a very special treat at Grandpa’s Café in Blumenort. If you mention that you saw his ad in Lifestyles you will get $5 off your order!

Happy shopping friends!

APRIL 9-12

RBC

SHOW FEATURES

Sponsors:

Bryan Baeumler

THE MAIN STAGE

Don’t miss Canada’s most popular designers, gardeners and home improvement specialists on The Main Stage presented by Home Network. Bryan Baeumler of Renovation Resort on Home Network, will join a line-up of local favourites to deliver insight to up your home and garden game in no time flat.

Presented by:

ASK A LANDSCAPER

This stunning space showcases lush floral arrangements, unique dried botanicals, and hands-on workshops running throughout the show. Stop by to shop, get inspired, and experience the art of floral design!

Presented by:

ASK A RENOVATOR

Aspiring renovators can rejoice by having their most pressing questions answered by the city’s top home improvement experts at Ask a Renovator. Drop in for a FREE 15-minute consultation at the Show. You will leave with a better understanding of how to make your dream home come true, including how to avert disaster.

Presented by:

PAINT WITH PURPOSE

Local and emerging artists, led by muralist Rachel Lyon, are bringing bold ideas to life at the Winnipeg Home + Garden Show! Watch as blank canvases are transformed into vibrant murals inspired by the world around us. Paint with Purpose is where creativity meets philanthropy: once complete, the finished mural will be donated to a deserving local charity, leaving a lasting impact beyond the show floor.

Presented by:

A dream that grew: the story of Grandpa's Café

Dreams become tangible when we move forward and put ideas into action to make things happen.

For Cornie and Ron Petkau, two brothers from Chihuahua, Mexico, that dream began modestly — a small cafeteria inside the PBX Industries compound on Highway 311, just enough to feed workers and customers without much fuss. But like most good ideas, it refused to stay small.

When the founders approached the municipality about a cafeteria license, they were told that serving customers on the premises required a full restaurant license. Rather than stepping back, the Petkau brothers stepped forward. "Then give us a license for a restaurant," Cornie said. And just like that, the seed grew roots.

Growing up in Chihuahua, Mexico, Cornie and Ron had always carried a deep love for bold, flavourful food. Trips to visit family in Dallas, Texas, had reinforced what they already knew — that steakhouses and Mexican restaurants draw people in everywhere in the world, and they always will. They dreamed of bringing that energy to their own corner of southern Manitoba: a steakhouse with Mexican flair, anchored by live music on Friday nights, a nod to their years performing in a band. Those three things — steak, Mexican food, and music — felt like the foundation of something real.

The community, however, taught them something equally important: that a good restaurant listens. Customers came in wanting burgers and fries, fish and chips, the familiar comfort of a Canadian kitchen. The brothers adapted, and today Grandpa's Café carries two menus side by side — one page Canadian, one

page Mexican. The Friday night live music remained. Some pillars of a dream are worth holding onto.

The name of the restaurant carries its own quiet story. Cornie's father had been a steady, beloved presence at PBX Industries for years, making parts hauls twice daily without complaint. Everyone around him — employees, customers, visitors — simply called him "Grandpa." Many never knew his given name. When Cornie and Ron sat down to choose a name for the restaurant, the word rose naturally to the surface. Both men embraced it immediately, and both their

OPEN HOUSE

• LIFE LEASE independent living for 55+ in a close-knit community.

• Prime location with indoor access to shopping, dining, medical services, Arena, the Y and Millennium Library.

• Security and emergency response services for added peace of mind.

• Spacious one-bedroom and two-bedroom options available.

• Features include in-suite washer and dryer, balcony enclosures, and heated parking.

• Suites can be customized according to your preference.

• Cat-friendly.

Beneath the food and the atmosphere, Grandpa's Café carries a deeper purpose. For nearly 38 years, truck drivers had brought their rigs to PBX when they needed service, logging millions of miles and keeping the business alive. Cornie and Ron had watched those men and women go underappreciated on the road for too long. The large centre table in the dining room was placed there as a symbolic seat of honour for them. They also carry a vision still taking shape: to invite any driver who has reached three million miles with PBX to come in once a year for a complimentary meal, sit down, and share their story. "Those people basically made PBX," Cornie says. "We want to honour them."

wives did too. It was the right way to honour a man whose quiet faithfulness had touched so many.

Incorporation brought a minor hurdle — another business already held a name too similar — so the restaurant was officially registered as "Grandpa's Café on 311." The brothers accepted it without complaint. They had also resisted the tempting shortcut of calling it "PBX Café," even though that name carried instant recognition in the surrounding community. They wanted the restaurant to build its own identity, earn its own reputation, and stand on its own merit.

The restaurant extends that same spirit outward — catering for companies, Christmas banquets, and weddings, while sourcing from local suppliers wherever possible. For Cornie and Ron, that last part is not a marketing strategy. It is simply the right thing to do. The community supports Grandpa's Café, so Grandpa's Café supports the community back. When asked what they want customers to remember after a meal, the answer is clear and unhurried. It will not be the cheapest meal in town. But it will be the best one. And the warmth of the place — the music, the welcome, the sense that someone genuinely wanted you there — that is what they hope people carry home long after the plates are cleared.

A licensing technicality planted the seed. A family's love of food, music, and people gave it water and light. Grandpa's Café on 311 is still growing, and by all signs, the roots go deeper every season.

Seniors’ gift of talents

The Senior’s Talent Show was conducted at Southlands Community Church on Feb. 21, 2026, from 11:00 noon to 1:00 pm was to showcase the hidden talents of the members of the Sri Lankan Seniors Manitoba.

A stage show performed by senior members: (1) Highlighted a video presentation exhibiting seniors' talents, (2) Folk Drama: A song from Maname, (3) Traditional one-sided drum played for various rhythms, (4) A group dance for a song from an old Sinhala movie, (5) An old Sinhala hit song. There were nine invitees, and 150 tickets were sold, and all of them attended. At the end of the show, everyone enjoyed lunch.

tive Healthy Living Program' to flourish from April 2025 to March 2026. SLSM appreciates Mayor Scott Gillingham's acknowledgement of our project proposal.

SLSM extends gratitude to the Government of Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP). This funding has enabled our 'SL 55 Plus Seniors Ac-

Black older adults in Winnipeg

We began with a Blessing by Ojembe (Ph.D.) (1) Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Work (Fort Garry), UofM (2) Director: Black and Racialized Seniors Neighborhood Lab

(3) Research Affiliate: Centre on Aging, Vice Scientific Director (Scholarship), Emerging (4) Researchers and Professionals in Ageing - African Network

Blessing formulated a focus group discussion to design culturally appropriate support and care for Black older adults in Winnipeg. Predominant objectives of our team: (1) To understand the cultural appro-

Health and nutrition for senior citizens.

priateness in the context of Black communities and Black older adults, (2) To identify the crucial elements of culturally appropriate interventions and their relevance for Black older adults.

The Zoom meeting was conducted on Feb. 14, 2026, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm.

The above Zoom conversation helped to develop more effective programs and services that truly meet the needs of Black older adults.

Health and nutrition for senior citizens

Dr. Meera Kaur, PhD, Associate Prof. University of Manitoba, gave a presentation on Health and Nutrition for Senior Citizens. Meera defined health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, 1948). As her lecture was quite interesting, our members spent a lot of time on the Q&A session. Meera spent a long time with us and she got friendly with attendees. This was held on Feb 27, 2026 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Whyte Ridge Community Centre.

At the end of the event, Marie’s birthday was celebrated by cutting a cake. The birthday song was sung by all attendees. International Dhamma Program: Ven. Nepalaye Suwanna Thera Mon. 2, March 2026 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, Sri Lanka time. “Anchoring in the Storm: Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence in the Era of AI."

Ven. Nepalaye Suwanna Thera is a Resident Monk from the Mindfulness Meditation Centre in Covina, Los Anglaise, USA. A Resident Monk Royal Pandit Anagama Dhammarama Nayaka Thera is the Chief Sanganayake Thera to the USA and Canada. I can still remember Bhante Nepalaye Suwanna allowed Chandani and me to talk with Nayka Thera via WhatsApp video call. In 2025, Most Ven. Thirikunamale Ananda Maha Nayaka Thera stayed a few weeks in this Temple. During that period, he introduced another Resident Monk of this temple, Ven. Makandure Dhammapeethi Thera. However, I came to know Bhante Nepalaye Suwanna from Sriyani Wijeratna and her daughter Vayomi Wijeratna.

Beyond curb appeal – the real ROI of thoughtful landscape design

Dorothy Dobbie

Not long ago, I received an email from an old friend with whom I have worked in the gardening industry for many years telling me how landscaping has now become a big factor in home sales. I was impressed and thought it would be useful to many of you if you are thinking of downsizing and selling your home in the near future.

Keith Lemkey is one of the very best landscapers anywhere and I have been in audiences where he has been given national awards for his design and execution.

I featured many of his beautiful landscapes in Manitoba Gardener and later in Canada’s Local Gardener, including his own amazing garden with its pool, putting green and outdoor kitchen.

When Keith does a job it’s done right, He is a stickler for detail and making sure the result won’t simply be beautiful but that it will last for many, many years. My own garden patio done by Lemkey Landscaping more than 20 years ago, bears testimony to this.

If you are thinking of downsizing and want to get the very best dollar you can on your lifetime investment in your home, think about that curb appeal. Keith even has such a good reputation that his work could be part of your sales pitch as in, “Recently landscaped by Lemkey Landscaping!” It’s bound to drive the price up and the offers moving.

I extend my sincere and warm endorsement of his services.

Here is what Keith told me:

With home prices continually on the rise and homeowners becoming more intentional about where they invest, landscaping is often overlooked as a meaningful contributor to property value.

Lemkey Landscape Design has spent over 40 years working across Winnipeg, and we’re seeing a shift toward what we call “return on investment landscaping”; where outdoor spaces are designed not just for appearance, but for long-term value.

Industry data shows that well-executed landscaping can

deliver 100 to 150%+ return on investment, sometimes even higher depending on the scope. Landscaping can increase overall property value by 10 to 25%.

In comparison, many interior renovations don’t have the same ROI. Kitchens typically return just 75 to 100% and bathrooms or basements return just 60 to 75%.

Despite this, landscaping is still often treated as an afterthought rather than a strategic investment. Most homeowners are comfortable investing in kitchens and bathrooms that return 60–80%, but often overlook landscaping, where thoughtful design can return over 100% while also transforming how the space is used every day.

In the real estate market, buyers often form their first impression before they even step inside, making curb appeal and a well-presented landscape more important than many

realize, and a key reason sellers may want to even consider temporarily staging their landscape while their home is on the market.

Lemkey Landscaping brings a unique level of expertise to this conversation with over 40 years of experience in Manitoba’s climate. The company is headed by Keith Lemkey, who chaired and taught the Landscape Journeyman Program at Red River College. He focused on ensuring that journeymancertified staff focused on proper installation practices. Lemkey Landscaping has won multiple industry awards for design and craftsmanship.

If this is something you’d be interested in exploring, we’d be happy to connect.

Best Regards, Lemkey Landscape Design

Celebrating 70 at St. Stephen’s

March 25, 2026, was the 70th Anniversary of the organization of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church. After a public consultation, we came up with a list of 70 people. The list is in alphabetical order. Because I administered this project, I declared myself ineligible to be 1 of the 70 people. During 1970s and the 1980s, St. Stephens was involved with Folklorama's Scandinavian Pavillon. It was a big mistake for St. Stephen's to terminate their involvement with Folklorama.

1. Donna Andert, part of the 1950s St. Stephens touring entertainers, singer on radio, TV, featured at Main Street's Chan Moon cabaret

2. Lil Asgeirson, the 1969 Fjallcona at the Gimli Icelandic Festival

3. Njal Bardal (1904-77), 2nd generation funeral director, a Hong Kong Prisoner of War in WW 2, member of the early St. Stephens Boards

4. Sigga Bardal, taught at Vacation Church School

armed services

23.Ted Green, a long career in the military

24. Carol Grier, volunteer at Deer Lodge Hospital, Church organist, involved with Contemporary Services

25. Bob Goodman, director of Research for the Manitoba health Commission, Tenor in the Choir, Church Council, memorial donation for the keyboard, part of Swanson, Swenson and Jensen

Fred Morris

From the desk of a gadfly

5. Neil Bardal (1940-2010), 3rd Generation Funeral Director, the Icelandic Order of the Falcon, the Order of Manitoba. St. James Park was named in Neil's memory

6. Walter Becker Pastor 1960-64. In the middle of 1961, a St. Stephen's Sunday Service was broadcast on CKY

7. Marg Bestick, devoted member of the Alter Guild who was tragically murdered

8. Steinunn Bjarnason, managed the Monk Goodwin Law office

9. Jean Brown, Altar Guild member

10. Janet Chell Church Organist, Volunteered at the St. Stephen & St. Bede Food Bank

11. Pastor Ted Chell, Lutheran Minister for over 60 years. Seven years assistant to President of Manitoba Sask. Synod

12. Pastor Jim Chell, the first Executive Director for Canadian Missions for the Evangelical Lutheran Church

13. Lou Chell, artist married to Jim Chell, (No.11) for 64 years

14. Dave Chell, Sunday School Teacher, on Church Council

15. Britta Chell, executive at the Canadian Wheat Board played a major role in developing the Waterloo Declaration

16. Alice Cholloner, a nurse specializing in prenatal care and childbirth. The operating room in the Woman's hospital named in memory of Alice 17. Mildred Dallman, Eastern Star, Daughters of the Nile, and Khartum Temple

18. Ted Dallman, 32 years with the Winnipeg Fire Department retiring as a District Fire Chief, Church board member, a Shriner who helped put on the Shrine Circus.

19. Darlene Dufily, Head of the Sunday School, Church President, worked for 40 years as a Teacher Principal, and Superintendent of the Interlake School Division

20. Bill Fehr, Pastor 1981-89, Open line radio show on CKRC

21 Bev Forsberg, a Brown Owl with the Brownies 22. Lydia Green, a civilian employee with the

In search of the missing cream cheese

Hello Dorothy, I would like to contact Ian Leatt about the recipe in the February 2026 addition of lifestyles 55. I wanted to make the recipe that he wrote about called Le Secret Sous la Peau but it is missing an ingredient. For this recipe he talks about cream cheese and advises to use at room temperature so it blends smoothly with the crab and shrimp. Sounds good and I would absolutely follow his instructions.

However, in the list of ingredients there is no cream cheese mentioned. Therefore, I didn’t make the dish because I didn’t want to guess how much cream cheese to use and didn’t want

26. Beryl Goodman, involved in both the 1950s entertainers and Folklorama groups, also volunteered with the Christmas Cheer Board, and Meals on Wheels

28. Kari Hagness, many impressive accomplishments in the theatre industry currently Church Treasurer

29. Eva Halmarson, involved in many aspects of the church, served as Secretary of the Board

30. Shirley Hobson, involved with many church committees, enjoyed worshipping in the back pew

31. Barbara Honey, organist for 32 years, involved with choir, ran a Church Kindergarten out of the Parish house

32. Ken Honey, first Sunday School Superintendent, one of the 1950s group of entertainers, cohosted with Meros Leckow 1966 Around the World with St. Stephens at the St. James Civic Centre

33. Rick Honey, worked in radio in several different provinces, 20 years as afternoon host on CKHW, member of the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame

34. Francis Karpa, nurse at Deer Lodge hospital, preached a sermon at St. Stephens

35. John Kunkel, 1963-72 served in African Church in Libia, pastor of St. Stephens 1972-81, officiated at several sunrise Easter Sunday Services at Assiniboine Park

36. Gerhard Lange, owned a bake shop on Ellice Avenue

37. Ursula Lange, worked for the Canadian Lutheran Relief

38. Dirk Lange, Minster and Professor, who has worked in several countries, worked on the liturgy and prayers for ecumenical services

39. Meros Leckow, professional entertainer for 7 decades, managed his own group Ukrainian dance group and the Dancing Cossacks. Involved in the 1957 St. Stephens Glenborough Fundraiser , played a leading role in the establishment of Folklorama, lived to be 101

39. Lilja Leckow, a founder of the Winnipeg Folk Council, President of the Icelandic Saga Dancers, helped establish Manitoba's first Children's Poison Center

40. Peggy Lindquist, member of the ELW

41. Barbara Lindquist, schoolteacher, church Council, and Sunday School

42. Paul Lindquist, St. James Alderman, choir director, worked for City of Winnipeg Welfare

43. Art McCaughan, pastor when St. Stephens and St. Bedes, Instituted Joint Services

44. Shirley McCreedy, on choir that sang for George VI and Queen Elizabeth during the 1939 Royal visit. Music Teacher, the 1993 Fjallkona at the

Gimli Icelandic Festival, campaigned to get the 1920 Winnipeg Falcon recognized as Canada's first Gold Medal hockey team

45. Russell McCreedy, Board Member of the Mount Royal Christian Center, Life Member of the Deer Lodge Curling Club, worked at CPR for 43 years, married for 64 years to Shirley

46. Lara Morris excellent Greeter, Board Member, Sculptor

47. Ruby Morris, Board Member, Altar Guild

48. Trudy Nachtigal, altar guild

49. Tim Nachtigal, Church Organist, Choir, Director, and Secretary

50. Roger Olson, Pastor who welcomed a new century, helped me prepare my one and only Sermon

51. Ken Pointkoski, retired flight attendant Church soloist, provides the treats for coffee hour

52. Debbie Pointkoski, former office administrator of the St. James Legion, collects mittens for inner city schools every Christmas

53. Pat Richards, long-time envelope secretary, Sunday school teacher, married to Gordon for 62 years

54. Rudy Roman, 34 years as a Greyhound bus driver

55. Kay Roman, talented gardener, Grace Hospital volunteer, married 62 years to Rudy

56. Dilla Sallows, who worked for the Police Dept., along with Roy was the adult advisor for the Luther League

57. Karen Sansom, lifelong member, on the Board. Organizes the Christmas Caroling

58. Valdine Scrymgeour, church organist, seamstress specializing in wedding dresses, lived to be 99

59. Charlie Scrymgeour, won the 1942 Brier as a second, almost 40 years as the Draw Master for the Manitoba School Boys bonspiel, Member of Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame

60. Joyce Sigfusson, nursery school and kindergarten

61. Gisli Sigfusson, supervisor of Winnipeg Water Department

62. Con Sigurdson, teacher, Assiniboine School principal, taught school in Katsina Nigeria, member of the St. Stephens Evangelism Committee.

63.Pastor Eric Sigmar, first pastor officiated at the new Ness Avenue Church's first service December 24,1960

64.Ken Skunberg, military, served on the Church Board

65. Inga Skunberg, worked in the City of Winnipeg's Clerk Office

66. Amy Skunberg, organist at Calgary's First Lutheran, worked at Eaton's record Department

67. Earl Skunberg, police officer, Winnipeg Blue Bomber Season ticket holder for over 50 years

68. Wesley Stevens, editor of the Christian Scholar won two German Humboldt Prizes for Research, organized the Lenten Speakers with many well-known speakers including Bill Blaikie

69. Ray Vopni, Board Member, played a leading role in the creation of the Central Canada Synod involvement/ownership of Chicken Delight

70. Margaret Wischenski, current President of both the Church and Altar Guild.

Fred Morris is a Grandfather, Sports Fan and Political Activist.

to chance ruining the recipe with too much or too little cream cheese.

Do you think he would mind sending me the full and complete recipe? I trust you will pass my message onto him.

Thank you,

Joan Boone

Hi Joan, Oh, how silly of me. How about this. In a mixing bowl, combine 125 grams (4 ounces) softened cream cheese, the crabmeat, chopped shrimp, breadcrumbs, melted butter, shallot, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined.

That will give you a nice cheese meat mix plenty for this recipe. Have fun! Hey, if you make it why not send in photos of how it turned out? And thank you for trying it out.

Happy cooking!

Ian Leatt

cookbook!

Hi Dorothy. HI there, How are you? I am off Facebook and social media dues to a variety of circumstances nut won’t go into details as there is just to much for me to mention.

I had intentions of buying the cookbook sooner and I am glad to see it is still available.

Enclosed is cash to pay for it as I don’t have a credit card and don’t use cheques.

Winnipeg Transit’s new system sucks! Loss of Rout 43 is not good. The long walk to City Place is a joke, but at least there is a lone ATM in place inside the mall. Other than that, life is good. Will be glad to see winter end. Anyway, interesting articles in the

March issue. Missed the last two issues due to circumstances beyond my control’

Sincerely, Larry Whitehouse

Dear Larry: Sorry you missed some Lifestyles issues. They get snapped up so fast on the newsstands even though we replenish four times a month.

You sent too much money for Ian’s cookbook, so I am going to use the change to create a subscription to Lifestyles 55 for you so that it will come in the mail to you once a month. That way you won’t have to go looking for it.

Spring is almost here. Have a wonderful summer!

Best wishes Dorothy

If you won’t respond, why hold office?

In the private sector, there is a simple rule. If you do not return your customer’s call, someone else will.

In public office, that rule should be even stricter. Taxpayers are not customers by choice. They fund the operation whether they like it or not. The least they deserve is a response.

A Winnipeg resident recently wrote to Mayor Scott Gillingham and every member of council with a series of direct questions about zoning authority and municipal oversight. The questions were not ideological. They were not accusatory. They focused on whether supervised consumption services or similar health services delivered by senior levels of government trigger any municipal decision point under Winnipeg’s zoning and planning framework.

One councillor reportedly suggested the matter should be raised by an inner-city councillor. That answer avoids the substance. The question was not about a single ward. It was about governance authority across Winnipeg. Zoning law does not stop at ward boundaries. If a structural gap exists, it affects the entire city.

The resident used 705 Broadway as an example but made it clear the issue was city-wide. The letter asked about zoning classification, whether conditional use approval or a public hearing would be required, and how cumulative concentration of services is assessed in specific areas of the city.

Weeks later, there has been no response.

That silence speaks loudly.

Municipal government may not control federal health exemptions. It does control zoning. It determines land-use compatibility. It establishes whether notice is given to neighbours and whether public hearings occur. If those tools do not apply in certain cases, then council should state that clearly. If they do apply, residents are entitled to know how and when they are exercised.

Instead, there appears to be avoidance.

When elected officials choose which questions to answer and which to ignore, they cross a line. Public office is not a menu of preferred topics. It is a responsibility to respond to the people who pay for the institution.

In business, ignoring a compliance concern from a client would be reckless. Investors would demand answers. Boards would demand answers. Employees would expect leadership to engage the issue directly, even if the answer is complicated.

Why should residents expect less from City Hall?

Responding does not require agreement. It requires respect. A simple explanation of jurisdiction, a referral to the appropriate planning official, or a clear statement that municipal authority is limited would demonstrate engagement. Silence does the opposite. It suggests either uncertainty or unwillingness to engage.

Neither builds trust.

Winnipeg already struggles with uneven service distribution and tension around land-use decisions. Residents in every part of the city want to know whether decisions are deliberate or simply the byproduct of overlapping jurisdictions. They want clarity about who is accountable when impacts accumulate in certain neighbourhoods.

When council refuses to clarify its own role, it reinforces the perception that some decisions occur by default. That perception erodes confidence, particularly among business owners and investors who rely on predictable planning frameworks.

Governance is not complicated. It requires discipline. Serious policy questions deserve serious replies. If municipal authority is constrained by federal or provincial decisions, then say so on the record. If there is ambiguity, acknowledge it and commit to clarifying it. If the zoning by-law provides mechanisms for review in some areas but not others, explain why.

That level of transparency should not depend on who is asking the question or whether the subject is politically comfortable.

Elected officials often remind us they work long hours. No one doubts the workload. But answering residents is not an optional extra. It is central to the job description.

Taxpayers are not background noise. They are the employer.

Imagine telling your largest client, “I do not like the question you are asking, so I will ignore it.” You would not remain in that role for long. In politics, the accountability mechanism is slower, but it still exists.

City Hall does not get to decide which residents matter. Every ward, every taxpayer, every neighbourhood deserves the same standard of engagement.

Winnipeggers are not asking for perfection. They are asking for clarity. They are asking for acknowledgement. They are asking their elected representatives to treat serious governance questions with the attention they deserve.

That is not an unreasonable demand. It is the baseline.

Kevin Klein is the publisher of the Winnipeg Sun.

The Winnipeg Home + Garden Show returns

April 9 to 12

Get Advice. Get Inspired. Get it Done.

Ready to finally tackle that growing home improvement or landscaping to-do list? Whether you’re dreaming of a refreshed kitchen, a more functional backyard, or simply searching for fresh inspiration, the Winnipeg Home + Garden Show is your one-stop destination for ideas, expertise, and solutions. From April 9–12, the RBC Convention Centre will be buzzing with hundreds of trusted home, design, and garden professionals - ready to help you make your next project a reality.

This year’s show brings together some of the biggest names in the industry, including Bryan Baeumler, star of Renovation Resort on Home Network. With exhibitors covering

every corner of home improvement - from cabinetry and countertops to decks, décor, and drought-tolerant garden design - you’ll discover the newest trends, the smartest innovations, and the practical advice you need to take your space to the next level.

While you visit the show don’t miss our slate of incredible features:

• The Main Stage – Don’t miss home and garden experts including Bryan Baeumler on the main stage, who joins a line-up of local favourites to deliver insight to up your home and garden game in no time flat.

• Paint with Purpose – watch as blank canvases are transformed into vibrant murals sponsored by Rachel

Lyon and Cloverdale Paint.

• Ask a Landscaper – Do you have a dream backyard you're looking to achieve this spring? Have all your pressing questions answered at Ask a Landscaper where you will have access to top local landscape and nursery experts sponsored by Manitoba Nursery Landscape Association and the Winnipeg Free Press.

• Ask a Renovator – Aspiring renovators can rejoice by having their most pressing questions answered by the city’s top home improvement experts at Ask a Renovator sponsored by Manitoba Home Builders’ Association and RENO+DECOR.

• Pop-up Market – Supporting small local businesses is more important than ever. We’re showcasing

some of the city’s best independent crafters and makers at the Pop-Up Market. Shop for handmade jewelry, ceramics, clothing, artisan food + drink, paper goods, and more, from Winnipeg’s top emerging artisans at this eclectic pop-up - chock-full of original pieces that are bound to catch your eye.

• …And So Much More. Visit the show website for a full list of features, experts, and events happening throughout the weekend.

Your next project begins here. Discover show-only specials, explore innovative new products, and connect with the right professionals to bring your vision to life—big or small.

Don’t miss the Winnipeg Home + Garden Show, April 9–12 at the RBC Convention Centre. Buy your tickets online and use promo code LOCALGARDENER to save 50% at WinnipegHomeAndGardenShow.com.

Follow the show on Facebook @WinnipegHomeShows and Instagram @ WPGHomeShows for up-to-date features, sponsor highlights, and exciting details!

Budget 2026 invests in Seniors Care

Last week, our government released Budget 2026 with a clear focus on good jobs, lower costs, and better health care for Manitobans. Just days earlier, we also announced plans to build a new state of the art cardiac care centre in Manitoba, a major step forward in improving access to life saving heart care. Investments like this strengthen our health system for everyone, including seniors who are more likely to need specialized cardiac care as they age.

A big part of our commitment is ensuring that seniors, the people who built this province, receive the care, respect, and support they deserve.

Seniors have spent decades building our communities, raising families, and contributing to the prosperity of Manitoba. Now it is our responsibility as a province to make sure seniors are supported to live healthy, dignified lives. That is why Budget 2026 includes investments aimed at improving seniors care, strengthening long-term care, and helping older Manitobans remain safe and independent in their homes.

dents. Meals are about more than nutrition. They are about comfort, dignity, and the small moments of enjoyment that matter every day. This investment will help improve the dining experience and ensure residents receive the quality of care they deserve.

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara Minister's Message

One of the ways we are improving quality of life for seniors living in personal care homes is by investing $5 million to ensure fresher, higher-quality food for resi-

Budget 2026 also continues our work to expand long-term care capacity across the province. New personal care homes are being developed in communities where the need is greatest, including a new facility in Winnipeg’s Bridgwater neighbourhood. This is in addition to projects already underway in Lac du Bonnet and Arborg, as well as the expansion of Park Manor in Transcona. Together, these investments represent more than $70 million to strengthen seniors care and add new capacity to Manitoba’s long-term care system.

At the same time, we know that most seniors want to remain in their homes and communities for as long as possible. Aging in place is not just a preference. It is often the best way for people to maintain independence, stay connected to their communities, and enjoy a higher quality of life. That is why Budget 2026 continues funding for the Safe and Healthy Home for Seniors Program, with $1.5 million dedicated to helping seniors make impor-

If not now, then when? It’s never too late to discover your passion!

He is 96 now and nearing the end of his journey. When I asked him what the secret is to his sharp mindedness, vitality and longevity. He replied instantly, “Find something you love to do,” he said, “then do it!” In his mid-70s he started sharing his interest in woodworking. This opened new connections, new doors, and new experiences for him. It led him to share his passion with children and teenagers. One thing led to the next and before he knew it, he was teaching students in multiple schools how to use tools and build useful things from wood.

I understood his advice immediately. After all I discovered my new abilities, passions and put to use my gifts in my 40s and 50s.

Zofia Dove Dove’s Discoveries

Did you know that it is never too late to discover yours?

Trying something for the first time, participating in a new activity or having seemingly random conversations may start something exciting.

A few years ago, while conducting an exercising class with a group of patients, I started sharing various anecdotes, stories and humour to lighten up the mood. When the class was over, one of the patients, an elderly lady, stayed behind and told me, “You have the gift of gab”.

“Gab?” I repeated (I had never heard this English expression before) asking, “What does it mean?”

“When you speak, people truly listen and pay attention, and you have an ability to lighten up the atmosphere in the room,” she explained

“Hmm,” I thought. “Interesting comment”. But this seemingly irrelevant, simple feedback sparked a new interest. I joined Toastmasters International. There I met many great people, formed lasting friendships and developed new communication skills. To speed up the process, I became a member of three different clubs. I learned not only how to communicate and present but also how to listen, think quickly on my feet and give feedback. The seemingly simple comment from one of my elderly patients has started me on a journey to professional speaking. Every step required me to leave my comfort zone to acquire new skills, as English is my second language.

Sometimes the greatest passion develops in the least expected circumstances! It was during COVID that I discovered another new passion. It started with a blind date. Since the majority of places were closed to the public during that time, we could not meet at a coffee shop, a restaurant or a cinema, so we’ve met for the first time at a city park. This routine of spending time outdoors continued and eventually we realized that we both not only enjoyed being in nature but that we were both adventurous people. Since neither one of us traveled much in Manitoba, we decided to get into a car and drive to places neither one of us had previously visited. Each weekend we would pick a spot on a map, fill up the gas tank, and drive into the unknown. Each trip unveiled beauty we never knew existed!

I still recall the first time I reached for my phone and asked my friend to take a picture of me with the beautiful, meandering Assiniboine River in the background at Spruce Woods Park. The view was spectacular and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to capture it. I sent the picture to my family in Europe, and their response sparked a new idea. I thought, “I will not only continue to travel and see the beauty of the province where I live. I will make the point of sharing this beauty with my loved ones in Europe.”

Taking pictures turned to taking videos. As I was filming the beautiful places and spaces, the idea kept growing and expanding. From filming sunrises and sunsets, bumblebees and flowers on hiking trails, it branched into talking to strangers. To my surprise, the majority of people were friendly and happy to answer questions to my camera. In no time, I was not only sharing the beauty of places in our province but also the friendliness thoughtfulness and the beauty of people we unexpectedly met. Connecting with people became new and exciting element of my travelling passion. People began to take notice of the videos posted on Facebook and over time more and more people were enjoying watching the travels.

You never know how new hobby or passion can help you to overcome challenging chapter in your life.

tant home upgrades. The program helps cover accessibility and safety improvements such as ramps, handrails, or bathroom modifications so that seniors can move safely through their homes and maintain independence longer. Affordability is another major concern for many seniors, especially those living on fixed incomes. Rising grocery prices and everyday costs have made life more difficult for many Manitobans. Budget 2026 helps address this by removing the provincial sales tax on all food items sold in grocery stores. This measure will help seniors stretch their budgets further and make it easier to afford the essentials.

We are also strengthening specialized care for seniors with complex medical needs. Budget 2026 includes an investment to establish an Acute Care for the Elderly and Geriatrics Unit at Health Sciences Centre. This will bring specialized expertise together in one place to better support older patients who require complex medical care.

Our government believes that caring for seniors is one of the most important responsibilities we have. Budget 2026 reflects that commitment by investing in better care, supporting independence, and making life more affordable for older Manitobans.

Seniors built this province. Our job is to make sure Manitoba continues to take care of them.

The Hon. Uzoma Asagwara is the Minister of Health, Seniors and Longterm Care and Deputy Premier.

Unfortunately, a few months into our dating, my friend suddenly died. Even though we had dated for only a short while, the time we spent on our travels, the never-ending conversations, and overcoming challenging situations together, bonded us. My grieving was real. We had shared incredible moments. We found a way to enjoy life in challenging times. Shocked and heartbroken, I was facing a tough decision: am I going to continue to travel alone or am I going to stop the adventures?

I reached the decision quickly. I realized that the joy I experienced during these travels was real and something I loved to do. He would want me to continue to be happy. Yes, his company made it that much more special, but it was not the only source of my enjoyment. My newly discovered passion was giving me a sense of enthusiasm, excitement and love of life. On top of this, the creative process of making the videos was expanding and my skills were growing rapidly, adding even more fun to the whole experience. And I was able to share my adventures with others, especially my friends and family in Europe, who enjoyed watching. With tears in my eyes (still grieving) I made an executive decision that I would continue the travel alone. From then on, I found myself getting up before sunrise, choosing the highway out of Winnipeg and driving into the unknown. My solo travelling didn’t last for too long, friends and acquaintances, some being new immigrants to Canada, started expressing interest in joining me.

As more people were watching my videos, I started getting invitations to see, witness and experience things and places I never knew it would be possible to have in Manitoba.

For example, a friend of mine invited me to Eriksdale, a vibrant community north of Winnipeg. He was a musician and the local community started organizing a festival. My visit and video about this new event in Manitoba, was made two years before CBC reporters visited the place. My video gave the new event great publicity that year. It was viewed by few thousand people after being posted on FB.

My travels took me to experience a Manitoba harvest. I got the opportunity to get on combines, (I even drove one). I filmed and interviewed farmers gathering their crops. I learned about irrigation systems and how they work in Manitoba

fields. It seemed the opportunities were never ending. I flew on a glider and a small plane over the prairies. I found a man who teaches sailing in Manitoba and one summer evening I found myself on a boat on Lake Winnipeg, learning how to sail. I attended fund-raising dinner at International Peace Garden which straddles the border of the province between Manitoba and the State of North Dakota. Here I met leaders from each side of the boarder and also learned about all the programs and summer camps organized for youth there. I visited the Narrows on Lake Manitoba. I visited Buffalo Point when I got a great lesson about Indigenous peoples’ history in our province. I visited the Petroforms in Whiteshell Provincial Part, a sacred, spiritual place to First Nations people. I was welcomed by a young couple whose husky dogs took me and my friend on dog sleigh ride at 40 below zero. At a farmer’s market I met and interviewed a young woman who lost her eyesight the year before she learned how to play an instrument. Now this new hobby is a passion, the key element to her getting out, joining other musicians and spending time doing what she loves. I’ve met people who love racing cars on ice during winter months on Lake Manitoba. I interviewed countless interesting people, who engage in meaningful and/ or fun-filled activities and who are living their dreams. Manitobans are great and interesting people!

And how about you? Have you discovered new hobby, your new passion lately? What will you do differently? Join a new club, engage in a new activity, change the routine? You can learn how to paint, knit, sew, do pottery, scrapbooking, run, dive or fly a plane. All of this is available in our beautiful Manitoba.

You never know what a new activity, hobby or passion is awaiting you around the corner. It is never too late to try something new! Don’t wait for better time. Make the time.

Look around, the opportunities are closer than you think! If you don’t act now, then when?!

P.S. The benefits of engagement in such activities, including the benefits to our mental health, are immeasurable! To be continued…

Zofia Dove is professional keynote speaker, author of "Unexpected Gifts", producer, director, and host of series "ReDISCOVERING the Beauty of Manitoba, Canada!"

Balancing protection and prosperity

The economic costs of Canada’s defensive domestic policies

“Shielded sectors limit the country’s ability to secure optimal outcomes in trade negotiations, while a lack of domestic competition dampens innovation and shifts costs onto Canadian households and businesses.”

Canada is widely recognized on the global stage as a consistent proponent of open trade, multilateral cooperation, and global economic integration. The nation actively participates in international forums and has successfully negotiated comprehensive free trade agreements with key global markets. However, a structural paradox exists within the Canadian economy: while advocating for open markets abroad, Canada maintains a highly defensive, protectionist posture domestically. Significant sectors of the Canadian economy remain shielded from competitive forces through foreign ownership restrictions, regulatory hurdles, and frameworks designed to support incumbent firms. While many of these policies were originally implemented to ensure national stability or cultural sovereignty, it is increasingly apparent that they carry substantial economic trade-offs. By insulating key industries, Canada weakens its international negotiating leverage, limits domestic productivity, and ultimately passes structural costs onto consumers and businesses.

plex for a Canadian business to export to the United States than to expand into a neighboring province. The Bank of Canada and numerous economic institutions have repeatedly highlighted that harmonizing these internal regulations would provide a substantial, immediate boost to GDP, demonstrating that the aversion to competitive integration begins at home.

Romel Dhalla On The Money

Looking at specific industries, the Canadian banking sector illustrates the core tension between systemic stability and market dynamism. The "Big Six" domestic banks hold a dominant market share, an oligopolistic structure that has undeniably contributed to Canada’s financial resilience, particularly during global downturns. However, this stability comes at a direct cost to the consumer. Foreign banks, while permitted to operate as subsidiaries or branches, face significant regulatory requirements and entrenched market advantages that make large-scale retail competition difficult. Consequently, Canadians generally face higher banking fees than consumers in comparable advanced economies. Furthermore, Canada’s relatively slow implementation of a Consumer-Driven Banking (Open Banking) framework, lagging behind peers like the UK and Australia, has delayed the integration of competitive fintech solutions that could lower costs and improve financing options for small and medium-sized enterprises.

impact of this reform. It is worth noting that targeted regulatory interventions, such as mandated Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) access, alongside recent industry mergers, have successfully pushed standard data prices downward in recent years. Nevertheless, baseline connectivity costs remain elevated relative to European and Asian markets. This dynamic impacts more than just consumer wallets; it raises operational costs for domestic startups and limits Canada's broader competitiveness in data-intensive digital sectors.

In a country as geographically vast as Canada, affordable air travel is critical for internal economic cohesion. Yet, domestic airfares frequently outpace those of peer nations. This is driven by two distinct structural factors. First, foreign ownership of Canadian airlines is capped at 49% (with no single foreign entity owning more than 25%), which limits the pool of international capital available to disrupt the market. Second, and perhaps more importantly, Canada relies on a "user-pay" aviation infrastructure model. The federal government collects substantial rent from airport authorities, and essential services like NAV CANADA and CATSA are funded entirely by user fees rather than broad tax revenues. These fixed infrastructure costs are inevitably baked into ticket prices, creating an elevated price floor that makes it exceptionally difficult for ultra-low-cost carriers to sustainably operate.

for major agreements like the USMCA (CUSMA), CETA, and the CPTPP, trading partners consistently demanded access to Canada's agricultural market. To secure these vital treaties, Canada was ultimately forced to concede Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs), allowing a specific percentage of foreign products into the country. To offset the impact on domestic producers, the government subsequently committed billions of dollars in compensation. This illustrates the complex, multi-layered cost of maintaining protected sectors in a globalized economy.

Canada’s defensive economic structures were not built with malicious intent; they are the legacy of policies prioritizing domestic stability and national control. However, a rational assessment of the modern economic landscape reveals that the costs of these protections are compounding. Shielded sectors limit the country’s ability to secure optimal outcomes in trade negotiations, while a lack of domestic competition dampens innovation and shifts costs onto Canadian households and businesses. Canada does not need to abandon stability, but it does need to recalibrate its approach. Gradual, deliberate liberalization, both interprovincially and internationally, would introduce necessary market dynamism. By cautiously lowering structural barriers, Canada can lower costs, spur productivity, and ensure that its domestic economic reality aligns with its global free-trade advocacy.

Before examining international barriers, it is necessary to address the regulatory friction that exists within Canada’s own borders. The persistence of interprovincial trade barriers remains a significant structural impediment to national productivity. Differing provincial regulations governing occupational licensing, transportation standards, and goods distribution create an environment where it is sometimes less com-

Similarly, while telecommunications are foundational infrastructure for the modern digital economy, Canada’s market remains one of the most concentrated in the OECD. While the federal government attempted to encourage competition in 2012 by lifting foreign ownership restrictions for telecom companies holding less than 10% of the market share, the entrenched scale of the domestic incumbents limited the

Agricultural supply management in the dairy, poultry, and egg sectors represents Canada's most deeply entrenched domestic protection. Operating under a quota-based framework, the system legally restricts imports and manages domestic production to stabilize farmer incomes. While successful in providing certainty for producers, it functions as a regressive policy for consumers, keeping the prices of basic grocery staples notably higher than global market averages. Furthermore, this system complicates Canada’s international trade agenda. In negotiations

A season of renewal and community

As spring begins to take hold and the days grow longer, Easter offers a welcome moment to reflect on renewal, hope, and the importance of community. After another Manitoba winter, there is something especially meaningful about this time of year. We see the return of light, the melting of snow along our neighbourhood streets, and the simple joy of seeing familiar faces out and about again.

is a time shaped by tradition. Family meals, gatherings with friends, and moments of reflection carry deep personal meaning. Whether it is attending a local church service, sharing a meal at home, or connecting with loved ones over the phone, these traditions help ground us and remind us of what truly matters.

tres, community events, and neighbourhood gatherings. These conversations are always meaningful. I hear stories about how our community has evolved over the years, and I am reminded of the role seniors have played and continue to play in shaping the strong and caring neighbourhoods we are proud of today.

Romel Dhalla, is President of Dhalla Advisory Corp., provides strategic corporate finance advice to companies and high net worth individuals. He was a portfolio manager and investment advisor with two major Canadian banks for 17 years. Contact him at romel@dacorp.ca. Any views or opinions represented in this article are personal and belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the author may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.

What makes Winnipeg West special is that sense of care and connection. It is found in small acts. A neighbour checking in, a friendly conversation, or a simple gesture of kindness can make a real difference. These moments may seem small, but they are what build a strong and supportive community.

For many in Winnipeg West, Easter

In my work as your Member of Parliament, I have the privilege of meeting seniors across our community at local 55 plus cen-

At the same time, I know that this season may feel different for some. For those who may be experiencing loss, living far from family, or navigating rising costs and everyday challenges, Easter can also be a quieter and more reflective time. It is a reminder of how important it is that we continue to look out for one another, not just during special occasions, but every day.

As we welcome spring and celebrate Easter, I hope you are able to find moments of peace, comfort, and connection in your own way. Whether surrounded by loved ones or enjoying a quiet moment of reflection, may this season bring a renewed sense of hope.

Wishing you a happy and meaningful Easter.

Dr. Doug Eyolfson is a Member of Parliament for Winnipeg West.

Meet your 2026 Champion Child – Ireland

Aparent’s voice is usually the very first sound a baby hears, but when Ireland was born the world was silent. Ireland Gault spent the first 11 months of her life unable to hear her mom and dad say, “I love you,” and her parents worried she never would.

In March of 2017 Ireland was born a happy and healthy baby to excited parents, Courtney and Will Gault. As part of Manitoba’s universal newborn hearing screening program, her hearing was tested before leaving the hospital. To her parents’ surprise, Ireland failed the test in one ear.

the youngest person in Manitoba to have bilateral cochlear implant surgery. After a month of healing, what she now calls her “ears” were activated and for the first time in her life, she heard her parents’ voices. She cried, and so did they.

Ireland’s cochlear implants allowed her to develop speech and language skills alongside her peers and each day Ireland gets to enjoy the sounds around her is a gift. Music. Singing. Laughter. Her parents saying, “I love you.”

At first, they weren’t too concerned but after several nerve-wracking months, additional testing revealed that Ireland had profound hearing loss in both ears.

Courtney and Will learned that Ireland was a great candidate for cochlear implants, surgically implanted devices that give patients the ability to hear the world around them. Paired with Auditory-Verbal Therapy and lots of practice, children like Ireland can understand and develop clear speech.

At just 10 months old, Ireland became

Now Ireland is proud of her “ears.” She is a kind and energetic girl who loves gymnastics, singing, birds, and being a caring big sister to her younger sister Taylor. And as your 2026 Champion Child, she’s raising her voice to help others.

Being a Champion Child means that Ireland and her family join a group of ambassadors from across North America that support their local children’s hospitals. The Champion program is part of Canada’s Children’s Hospitals Foundations (CCHF) and the Children’s Miracle Network in Canada and the U.S. They will attend several events this year to share her story and raise funds for HSC

Children’s Hospital.

At Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, we’re so excited to welcome Ireland to represent the 140,000 kids who need HSC Children’s Hospital each year and countless more who benefit from the work at Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. Ireland and her family are already making an impact, sharing their story to raise funds and

awareness for Manitoba’s only children’s hospital and child health research.

While Ireland sometimes feels different than her friends and has some trouble hearing and processing information in loud and busy environments, her parents have taught her that she can do anything she puts her mind to.

Best of all, Ireland’s successful surgery has made it possible for children just like her to receive cochlear implants before their first birthdays. Since Ireland’s procedure in 2018, doctors at HSC Children’s have performed cochlear implant surgery for more than 80 children with 12 procedures done before the child turned one. Previously, kids would have the surgery around 18 months.

All of this would not be possible without experts in child health research to support new technology, equipment, and treatments for kids.

Ireland’s family has celebrated her hearing anniversary every year with a fundraiser for Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba run through her Dad Will’s business, Willy Dogs.

For Ireland, her message to our community is clear.

“Please help kids like me!”

Watch Ireland’s story and support her fundraising at goodbear.ca/Ireland

Stefano Grande is the president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

Silver Heights restaurant’s Jimmy Siwicki inducted in Manitoba restaurant and food services association hall of fame gala

Thursday, February 19, 2026 was a special night for popular restaurateur Jimmy Siwicki. On that day, the public face of Silver Heights Restaurant and Lounge was inducted into the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservice Association Hall of Fame at a gala event at the Met Centre. Siwicki was one of three inductees this year – the second year for the honour – along with Richard Enright who brought the Boston Pizza franchise back to Manitoba and the late Oscar Grubert who was the co-founder of Champs and the man who introduced Kentucky Fried Chicken to the province.

“It was a great evening,” says Jimmy. “There were about 400 in attendance. Can I add that “it is a great honour to be recognized by your peers?”

Says Jimmy’s son, Tony: “We would like to thank the Team at Manitoba Restaurant and Food Services Association for creating this event. We are told that all the inductees are now being displayed at Red River College in their Culinary building. “

tion without the din of some other restaurants that seem to pack in as many tables as they can.

As Jimmy tells it, the restaurant was founded in 1957, in partnership with three fellow cab drivers. “My dad knew little or nothing about the restaurant business when he and his partners opened,” Jimmy recounts. “His operating philosophy was simple – provide your guests with quick and friendly service, serve fresh, delicious quality food at a reasonable price and keep it that way.”

Over almost 70 years in business, Jimmy Siwicki and his father Tony before him have created a warm and friendly place where customers come from throughout Winnipeg to enjoy the familylike atmosphere as well as the food. Jimmy notes that up until the Bombers relocated to Fort Garry, many of the players frequented the place. So did local celebrities such as the late sportscaster Stew McPherson and the legendary Jack Wells among others.

I myself am happy to say that I have dined at the Silver Heights Restaurant and Lounge many times over the past few years and found it to be a pleasant experience with good food, friendly servers, and a place where you can have a conversa-

Jimmy recalls that the original restaurant was just the middle section of the current establishment and primarily served hot dogs and hamburgers.

In 1964, Tony bought out his last three partners and brought his three sons, Dave and Alan as well as Jim, into the business. Over time, the restaurant expanded to the east with a larger dining area replacing the hardware store next door and a greatly enlarged beverage room and lounge to the west.

Currently, the restaurant has room for 100 in the dining room with an additional 50 seats in the bar.

Over the years, Jimmy points out, the menu has undergone expansion and change. “You have to change with the times,” he says.

While steak and ribs take pride of place, diners can also choose from fish entrees, burgers and fries, chicken, eggs, Greek and Italian options such as calamari, bruschetta, nachos and shepherd’s pie egg rolls prepared and served by a staff of between 25 and 30.

But it is not just the food that keeps customers coming back. The restaurant is a going concern with activities and special events and deals almost daily. Wednesday evenings are trivia nights while

Saturday afternoon is given over to live jazz. You can also book birthday and anniversary parties and other social events.

While you might think that running a thriving restaurant would be challenge enough for Jimmy Siwicki, in the late ‘70s he took on a second project. He acquired a social, dance and banquet hall – the Monterey Ranch - in Headingly which he operated for ten years.

“We already had a liquor license, and we prepared the food at our restaurant,” he recalls. “We had a half kitchen at the hall for warming food. We would get 300 to 400 guests every Friday and Saturday evening,” he says.

Almost from the beginning, Silver Heights Restaurant has been a family affair. Jimmy’s wife, Maureen, has worked with him side by side over the years and all of their children have been involved in the business.

Today, sons J.C. and Tony and his wife, Sue, operate the restaurant and lounge. But Jimmy still comes in every day. (The restaurant is closed Sundays.)

“I open for the boys at 7:00,” he says. “The cooks come in at 8:00.”

I would encourage readers to drop in. Jimmy would no doubt love to see you and share his stories with you.

Creative Retirement Manitoba Inc.

204-481-5030, hello@crcentre.ca www.crcentre.ca

WINNIPEG

20 Fort Street Seniors Club

2200-20 Fort Street / FortStSeniors@Shaw.ca

A&O Support Services for Older Adults Inc.

200 - 207 Donald Street 204-956-6440 / Toll Free: 1-888-333-3121 info@aosupportservices.ca www.aosupportservices.ca

Archwood 55 Plus

565 Guilbault Avenue / 204-416-1067 archwood55@shaw.ca archwood55plus.wildapricot.org/ Barbados Association of Winnipeg, MB Inc. 204-202-7197

barbadosassociaationof wpg@outlook.com

Bleak House Centre 1637 Main Street / 204-338-4723 bleakhousecentre@gmail.com www.bleakhousecentre.com

Brooklands Active Living Centre 1960 William Avenue W 204-632-8367 / bpscc@mymts.net

Centro Caboto Centre 1055 Wilkes Avenue / 204-487-4597 ext. 1 executivedirector@cabotocentre.com www.cabotocentre.com

Charleswood Active Living Centre A 357 Oakdale Drive / 204-897-5263 info@charleswoodseniorcentre.org www.charleswoodseniorcentre.org

Dakota Community Centre 1188 Dakota Street / 204-254-1010 ext. 217 seniorresources@dakotacc.com www.dakotacc.com

Delmar Seniors

110 Adamar Road / 204-421-2592

Dufferin Senior Citizens Inc.

377 Dufferin Avenue / 204-986-2608

Elmwood East Kildonan Active Living Centre 180 Poplar Avenue / 204-669-0750 healthrelations@chalmersrenewal.org chalmersrenewal.org

Garden City Community Centre Seniors 55+ 725 Kingsbury Avenue / 204-940-6111 facilities@gardencitycc.com www.gardencitycc.com/seniors

Golden Rule Seniors Resource Centre 625 Osborne Street / 204-306-1114 goldenrule@swsrc.ca facebook.com/goldenruleseniors

Good Neighbours Active Living Centre 720 Henderson Hwy / 204-669-1710 admin@gnalc.ca / www.gnalc.ca

Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre 1588 Main Street / 204-339-1701 becky@gwensecter.com / www.gwensecter.com

Headingley Seniors’ Services 5353 Portage Avenue / 204-889-3132 ext. 3 seniors@rmofheadingley.ca www.headingleyseniorsservices.ca

Manitoba Association of Senior Communities

Pembina Active Living (55+) 933 Summerside Avenue / 204-946-0839 office@pal55plus.ca / www.pal55plus.ca

Rady Jewish Community Centre 123 Doncaster Street / 204-477-7539 lmarjovsky@radyjcc.com / www.radyjcc.com

Rainbow Resource Centre 514 St. Mary Avenue / 204-474-0212 ext 255 OTR@rainbowresourcecentre.org www.rainbowresourcecentre.org

The Salvation Army Barbara Mitchell Family Resource Centre 51 Morrow Avenue / 204-946-9153 sheila.keys@salvationarmy.ca

Somali Help Age Association 519 Beverley Street / 204-881-6364 somalihelpage@gmail.com

South Winnipeg Seniors Resource Council 117-1 Morley Ave / 204-478-6169 resources@swsrc.ca / www.swsrc.ca

Sri Lankan Seniors Manitoba 113 Stan Bailie Drive / 204-261-9647 www.srilankanseniorsmb.ca

St. James-Assiniboia 55+ Centre 3-203 Duffield Street / 204-987-8850 info@stjamescentre.com / www.stjamescentre.com

Transcona Council for Seniors 845 Regent Ave / 204-222-9879 tcs@mymts.net / www.transconaseniors.ca

Transcona Retired Citizens Org. 328 Whittier Ave. West 204-222-8473 / trco328@shaw.ca

Vital Seniors 3 St Vital Road / 204-253-0555 stmary@mymts.net www.stmarymagdelenewpg.org

Winnipeg Chinese Senior Association 204-291-7798 / wcsa.wpg@hotmail.com www.winnipegchineseseniors.ca

BEYOND WINNIPEG

ALTONA

Rhineland C.A.R.E. Inc.

240 5th St NE / 204-324-1528 carealtona.com

ASHERN

Living Independence for Elders Inc. #4-61 Main Street / 204-768-2187 lifeashern@gmail.com

BEAUSEJOUR

Beau-Head Senior Centre 645 Park Avenue / 204-268-2444 beauhead@mymts.net

BINSCARTH / RUSSELL

Senior Services of Banner County 204-532-2391 seniorservicesofbannercounty@gmail.com

BIRTLE

Valley Senior Services 663 Main Street / 204-842-3296 valleyserviceforseniors@gmail.com

BOISSEVAIN

Seniors’ Services of the Turtle Mountain Area 204-534-6816 / seniorservicetm@gmail.com

BRANDON

Indigenous Senior Resource Centre Inc. A1- 100 Robinson Avenue / 204-586-4595 executivedirector@isrcwpg.ca / www.asrcwpg.ca

Keewatin Inkster Neighbourhood Resources 1625 Logan Avenue / 204-774-3085 kinrc@mymts.net

La Fédération des aînés de la francophonie manitobaine inc. 123-400, rue Des Meurons 204-235-0670 / direction@fafm.mb.ca

Manitoba Korean 55+ Centre 900-150 River Avenue 204-996-7003 / www.ksam.ca

North Centennial Seniors Association of Winnipeg Inc. 86 Sinclair Street / 204-582-0066 ncsc@shaw.ca / www.ncseniors.ca Old Grace Housing Co-op 100-200 Arlington Street wellness.oghc@gmail.com

Brandon Seniors for Seniors Co-op Inc. 311 Park Avenue E / 204-571-2050 reception@brandons4s.ca / www.brandons4s.ca Health Checks brandonmbhealthchecks.ca healthchecksbrandon@gmail.com

CARMAN

Carman Active Living Centre 47 Ed Belfour Drive / 204-745-2356 www.activelivingcentrecarman.ca

CRANBERRY PORTAGE

Jubilee Recreation of Cranberry Portage Legion Hall 217 2nd Ave. SE / 204-271-3081

CRYSTAL CITY

Crystal City & District Friendship Club Inc. 117 Broadway St. / 431-867-0122 crystalcityfriendship@gmail.com

DAUPHIN

Dauphin Active Living Centre Inc. 55 1st Avenue SE / 204-638-6485 www.dauphinseniors.com

DELORAINE

Deloraine Community Club Inc. 111 South Railway Ave E / 204-747-2846

Seniors’ Outreach Services of BrenWin Inc. 204-747-3283 / sosbrenwin@gmail.com sosbrenwin.com

ELIE

Cartier Senior Citizens Support Committee Inc. 11 Magloire Street, Suite #1 / 204-353-2470 cartierseniors55@outlook.com

ERICKSON

Comfort Drop In Centre 31 Main Street / 204-636-2047 areas@mymts.net

FLIN FLON

Flin Flon Seniors 2 North Avenue / 204-687-7308

GILBERT PLAINS

Gilbert Plains and District Community Resource Council Inc. 204-548-4131 / gpdcrc@mymts.net gpseniors.ca

Gilbert Plains Drop In Centre 22 Main Street North / 204-548-2210

GIMLI

Gimli New Horizons 55+ Centre 17 Loni Beach Road / 204-642-7909 gimli55@mts.net / www.gimlinewhorizons.com

GRAND MARAIS

Grand Marais & District Seniors 36058 PTH 12 / gmdseniors@gmail.com www.gmdseniors.ca

GRANDVIEW

Grandview Seniors Drop In 432 Main Street / 204-546-2272

HAMIOTA

Hamiota 55+ Centre & Restore Community Co-op Inc. 44 Maple Avenue / 204-764-2658

KILLARNEY

Killarney New Horizons Centre 520 Mountain Avenue / www.killarneymbseniors.ca

Killarney Service for Seniors 415 Broadway Ave. / 204-523-7115 seniorservice@killarney.ca

LA BROQUERIE and STE. ANNE

Seine River Services for Seniors Inc./ Services Rivière Seine pour aînés Inc. 93 Principale Street / 204-424-5285 src@seineriverservicesforseniors.ca seineriverservicesforseniors.ca

LUNDAR

Lundar Community Resources 35 Main Street / 204-762-5378 lcrc@mymts.net

MANITOU

Pembina Community Resource Council 315 Main Street / 204-242-2241 pembinacrc@gmail.com

MINNEDOSA

Minnedosa Senior Citizens Assoc. 31 Main Street S / 204-867-1956 mdsasca@gmail.com

MORDEN

Morden Activity Centre 306 N Railway Street / 204-822-3555 mordenactivitycentre@gmail.com www.mordenseniors.ca

NEEPAWA Neepawa Drop In Centre 310 Davidson Street / 204-476-5103 Neepawa-dropin@outlook.com www.neepawa.ca/district-drop-in-center

NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES Club D’age Dor Notre Dame 204-248-7291 / ndslchezsoi@gmail.com

PILOT MOUND Pilot Mound Fellowship Centre 203 Broadway Avenue / 204-825-2873

PLUMAS Plumas Seniors Citizens Club Inc. 102 White Street / 204-386-2029

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE

Herman Prior Senior Services Centre 40 Royal Road N. / 204-857-6951 hermanpriorcentre@gmail.com www.hermanprior.com

Portage Service for Seniors 40A Royal Road N. / 204-239-6312 psfsmeals@shaw.ca portageservicefors.wixsite.com/psfs

RIVERTON

Riverton Seniors Activity Centre 12 Main Street / 204-378-5155 rdfc@mymts.net / www.rivertonfc.com

ROSSBURN

Rossburn Community Resource Council 71 Main Street / 204-859-3386 rosscomm@outlook.com

SANDY LAKE

Sandy Lake Drop In Centre 100 Main St. / 204-585-2411

Municipality of Harrison Park - Age Friendly Initiative Committee 204-585-5310

SELKIRK

Gordon Howard Centre 384 Eveline Street / 204-785-2092 executivedirector@gordonhoward.ca www.gordonhoward.ca

SNOW LAKE

Snow Lake Senior Centre 71 Balsam Street / 204-358-2151 snowsrs@mymts.net

SOUTH JUNCTION Piney Regional Senior Services 204-437-2604 / lgdseniors@gmail.com

ST. LAURENT Age Friendly Committee of St. Laurent 204-906-9607

STARBUCK MacDonald Services to Seniors 204-735-3052 / info@mcdonaldseniors.ca www.macdonaldseniors.ca

STEINBACH

Pat Porter Active Living Centre 10 Chrysler Gate / 204-320-4600 ed@patporteralc.com / www.patporteralc.com

STONEWALL

South Interlake 55 Plus 374 1st Street West - Oddfellows Hall 204-467-2582 / si55plus@mymts.net www.si55plus.org

SWAN RIVER Swan River & District Community Resource Council 126 6th Ave N / 204-734-5707 resourcecouncil@srseniorservices.com

Swan River Senior Citizens Centre 702 1st Street North / 204-734-2212 THE PAS The Pas Golden Agers 324 Ross Avenue / 204-623-3663 seniorsthepas@gmail.com

THOMPSON Thompson Seniors Community Resource Council Inc. 4 Nelson Rd. / 204-677-0987 thompsonseniors55@gmail.com thompsonseniors.ca

TREHERNE Treherne Friendship Centre 190 Broadway Street 204-723-2559 / jstate1066@gmail.com

VICTORIA BEACH

East Beaches Social Scene 3 Ateah Road / 204-756-6468 ebssinc1@gmail.com / www.ebseniorscene.ca

East Beaches Resource Centre 3 Ateah Road / 204-756-6471 ebresourcec@gmail.com / ebresourcec.weebly.com

VIRDEN Seniors Access to Independent Living 204-851-2761 / sail.cao.2023@gmail.com

WINKLER Winkler & District MP Senior Centre 102-650 South Railway Avenue / 204-325-8964 director@winklerseniorcentre.com www.winklerseniorcentre.com